The Consequences of Curiosity
by MenShouldBeLikeKleenex
Summary: Smith was a Grounder who wanted nothing but peace with the kids who fell from the sky. The 100 weren't sure what to make of the girl who said she only wanted to help. Determined to keep them alive, Smith risks her own safety to help the 100 despite knowing that they'll never truly understand what she sacrificed. And to think this all started because she was curious.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the 100**

 **NOTE: This is a fusion of book and show canon. Not much is changed, and what is will be addressed in the first few chapters**

 **Italics is Trigedasleng**

* * *

DAY 1

Smith wasn't sure what to make of the new Sky People. They were different then the last, younger. She didn't think they'd survive very long- definitely not as long as the last group. In all honesty, she probably should be here, lurking in the trees above the kids. As soon as the rest of her people heard about the new group, the Commander would forbid everyone from interacting with them.

The kids milled about the area, taking in the sun for what she assumed was the first time. Shifting slightly, she leaned forward a small group circled around a piece of paper, talking too quietly for her to hear. The girl holding the paper looked up, her blonde hair catching the sun. Her blue eyes pierced the treeline by where Smith sat, but she knew that the girl could not see her. The one with a large nose leaned back with a smirk, pointing to another boy with darker skin, calling him the 'Chancellor of Earth.'

Within minutes, the entire group was riled up, talking loudly. Smith frowned. At this rate, everyone will know of the new arrivals. They really weren't that bright. Unless… Unless they didn't know there were others on the ground. The first group had been shocked, but she had assumed that they would tell their friends in the sky of the people on the ground. Pulling back, Smith stared at the bark of the tree she sat in. These kids… they were no older than her, and soon enough they would be on the bad side of the Woods Clan. They did not stand a chance.

Glancing at them once more, she watched as five Sky People left the area. Swiveling to jump to a branch on a neighboring tree, she moved closer to watch them go. That direction lead to village, and they would not treat the strangers nicely. Should she warn them? The nagging in her chest hinted that she should, but she knew that if she was found out, she would be exiled or even killed for treason. And besides, the group seemed edgy, and they felt like the type to react violently to outsiders. For now, she would not make contact.

Smith slunk back to her original spot, returning her gaze to the taller boy ordering others around. Looking harder, she realized that he was not a young boy. He was definitely older than her and the others at the camp. Interesting. He stood tall, obviously someone who knew how to lead, but the way his dark eyes flickered around and the way he would not stand still, she would guess that he was nervous about something. Perhaps for the others that left? He did seem close to the one girl as he had kissed her cheek. His lover? No, they didn't have that air. Perhaps family.

* * *

Soon enough night fell, casting the world in dark shadows. They had enough sense to build a fire, but they built it too big. That would give their location away to everyone within miles.

She watched them walk around- some of them gathering supplies, other just wandering- for quite some time. As her eyes skipped around the scene, they came to rest on the older boy once again. He stood next to another boy, the one who yelled about the 'Chancellor of Earth' (which she assumed was like the Commander), looking at the kids lined up in front of them, prying off the metal that gleamed around their wrists.

"Bellamy, what the hell are you doing?" a voice called. Scanning the crowd, Smith saw it was the Chancellor. Was taking off the bracelet a bad thing? How could it harm them? Looking back at the two, she noticed that the lead one, the older one rolled his eyes before answering. _So his name is Bellamy_ , she thought to herself. Knowing their names helped everything stay organized in her head. Perhaps she should get closer so she could learn more names. Slowly edging her way to a tree closer to the clearing, she missed most of the conversation between Bellamy and the Chancellor, only hearing the group start to chant "whatever the hell we want!"

Stopping in the tree, she frowned. Whatever they wanted? That didn't seem like it was the best idea. Then she heard the thunder. Rain was coming.

Within seconds of her conclusion, the heavens opened and dumped everything they had on the humans below. Smith let out a quiet groan. Rain would make being tracked easier. That made her chances of being caught easier. Unaware of her plight, the Sky People revealed in the rain.

"Rain! Real Rain!" One called, spinning in a circle, her face tilted to the sky.

"Check it out!" Another called.

"It's water!" Someone else yelled. Smith shook her head at the teens. This was not the time to play around. Rain brought dampness and the cold, and those brought sickness. It would be best to stay out of the downpour until it lightened.

"We need to collect this," The Chancellor but in, saying the first intelligent thing regarding the weather. The others seemed to ignore him, opting to play around more. Bellamy looked at him with a smirk.

"Whatever the hell you want," He grinned, indicating that the Chancellor would be on his own. They all cheered despite the fact that the Chancellor had provided a great survival method.

* * *

Smith had been stuck in the tree ever since it rained. If she left, she would leave footprints in the mud, alerting the group to her presence, and even leading them back to her village. So she couldn't leave until the ground dried.

One by one the Sky People fell asleep, the glow of the fire illuminating their bodies as they curled up on the ground. Sighing, Smith tried to do the same, shifting uncomfortably in her tree. Just as she felt her mind drifting off, her body relaxing, she heard movement in the camp below. The leader, Bellamy, moved over to the Chancellor, nodding towards the forest. The congregation behind him left to enter the forest, one-the one with the big nose- passing just under her tree. An idea popped into her head. She could use his footprints to escape, stepping in them to cover her own.

Peeking back into their camp to make sure no one could see her, she froze. Bellamy stood stooped next to the Chancellor, a gun pointed at his cheek. Guns… These kids had guns. Smith had never seen the weapon in real life. She had only heard stories from the warriors who had survived going up against the Mountain Men, and she knew exactly what they could do. This whole situation had just become much more complicated.

Watching them leave, Smith lowered herself from the tree, carefully lining her feet up with the footprints left behind. Should she continue to watch the Sky People? Now that she knew they had guns, or at the very least a gun, it could be very dangerous for her. She was a warrior, skilled in both close combat and was knew her way around a bow, but her weapons meant nothing when compared to the weapon Bellamy waved around.

But she knew she would come back despite the risks. She wanted to help these people, survive, just as she helped the last group survive. Everyone deserves to have a chance at life.

* * *

DAY 2

Hurrying out of her village, Smith made sure that no one followed her as she made her way back to the group of kids. She was lost in her thoughts as she walked. The Commander did not say anything about the new group, even though there was a buzz amongst the village. What were they waiting for?

Distracted by her thoughts, she almost didn't hear the grunts coming from the clearing up ahead. Pulling herself behind a tree, she stared on as the Chancellor finished up pouring dirt on two mounds of dirt. Graves. The Chancellor picked up what she assumed was their clothes and left the clearing.

Slowly slinking out from behind the tree, she moved next to the two shallow graves, laying her hand one each mound. _"Yu gonplei ste odon,"_ she whispered. It was customary to respect the dead, no matter what side they were on.

She sat there for a few minutes, paying respect for the two who passed, when she heard yelling from nearby. Hurrying out of the clearing, Smith climbed the same tree as yesterday. When she looked out over the group, she saw that the Chancellor was in a fight with the guy with the big nose. They were swinging knives around, but it was easy to see that Big Nose was severely out matched. He didn't know how to wield the knife. The Chancellor did.

"WELLS!" a feminine voice yelled from directly below Smith. She jumped slightly, pulling herself closer to the tree, hoping that they didn't notice her. "Let him go!" It was the pretty blonde who yelled, clearing indicating the Chancellor. Wells… What an interesting name.

Wells pushed the other boy to the ground, Bellamy moving closer. When Big Nose reached his feet again, he lunged for Wells, but Bellamy caught him, muttering something to him that she could quite hear. She did hear the name Murphy though, which she guessed was the boys name.

As the last of the smaller group reached the clearing, Bellamy's face paled when his eyes fell on the girl who he had kissed yesterday. Letting out a worried, "Octavia!" he rushed to her side, taking her from the boy holding her up. "Are you alright?"

Furrowing her brows, Smith did a quick head count of the returning group. Four. Hadn't there been five yesterday? Her eyes went wide a second later. They had found her people didn't they? Now it would be almost impossible for her to reason with either side in her quest for peace.

"Where's the food?" Bellamy asked, looking towards the blonde with an almost angry expression.

"We didn't make it to Mount Weather," a boy said, sitting down. His long hair obscured the side of his face so she couldn't get a good look at his features. Then she took in what he said. Mount Weather. They had been trying to get to Mount Weather. The last group had been too, but she was able to intercept them before they went looking. No one went near Mount Weather in fear of the Mountain Men.

"Then what the hell happened out there?" Bellamy growled. Smith shifted in her tree, wanting to hear everything.

"We were attacked," The blonde said, still slightly breathless.

"By what?" Wells asked.

"Not what," the long haired boy muttered, glancing at the three of them. "Who. It turns out, when the last man from the ground died on the Ark, he wasn't the last Grounder."

"It's true," The blonde said looking around at the shocked faces around her. "Everything we thought we knew about the ground is wrong. There are people here, survivors. The good news is, that means we can survive. Radiation won't kill us."

"Yeah," the long haired boy cut in, "but the bad news is the grounders will."

Smith frowned. He was probably right. Last time her people trusted the Sky People, on her insistence no less, they had been stabbed in the back. They would not rush to extend the same pleasantries to this group.

"Where's the kid with the goggles?" Wells asked, getting to the question Smith had wondered earlier.

"Jasper was hit," The blonde said bitterly. "... They took him."

Cursing under her breath, Smith scurried down the tree as quietly as she could and took off into the forest. They had taken one of them to teach them a lesson, but Smith knew that they kept him alive. They would make him into an effigy.

Following the groans, she stood near the trees, not hiding, but not announcing her presence. There were three warriors tying the boy, Jasper they had said his name was, to the tree, Nyko the healer standing off to the side with a poultice having already treated his wounds.

 _"Smith,"_ Nyko greeted, glancing her way with a small smile. Even after her alienation due to her trust of the Sky People, he had always remained friendly with her. _"What brings you here?"_

 _"I heard the groaning,"_ She answered, stepping closer. She didn't miss they way the warriors shot her a dirty look. _"I thought the Mountain Men had attacked… Who is it?"_ She thrusted her chin towards the boy. Of course, she knew more about him than they did, but she would keep that to herself.

 _"A Sky Person,"_ the warrior closest to her sneered. _"For the Sky People Lover."_

 _"Quiet,"_ Nyko snapped at the man. The warrior quieted, looking at the girl with boiling rage. " _I'm sure you've heard about the new Sky People,"_ he said turning back to the girl.

 _"Of course,"_ She answered hesitantly. They couldn't know she had been near their camp. _"Everyone has. Why attack them, though?"_

 _"He crossed the river close to a village,"_ Nyko explained. _"He shall be an example for the new Sky People."_

Smith smiled and nodded. She turned to leave, but stopped. _"Do you want me to take the Poultice back? I'm heading to the village now."_

Nyko tilted his head, taking in the strange glint in the young girl's brown eyes. Her eyes flickered to the boy, and he understood. She wanted to help him, give the poultice to his people once they found him. Nyko didn't trust the Sky People, but he trusted Smith's judgement, despite what happened with the last group. She had made some great calls while in battle before, and he hoped that a single lapse in judgement was just that. A singularity.

* * *

Smith was back in her tree, watching the remaining group, noting that many of the people she knew were gone. Only Octavia and the other boy, the one who was friends with Jasper, remained. She cradled to poultice to her body, curling herself up on the branch. They would find Jasper, the Trikru had made sure of that, so it was just a matter of time before she could slip into the camp and leave the poultice. She had gone back to her home to retrieve a piece of paper to leave them a note, wanting the Sky People to know exactly what it was for.

Then there was always the matter of Nyko helping her. He didn't have to give her the poultice, it was obvious that she had no intentions of returning to the village. And yet here she was, sitting above the camp with the medicine, waiting for those who left to return. Glancing up at the sky, she noted that the sun had started its descension, making it's way back to the earth.

Her stomach growled, making her jump at the sudden noise. How long had it been since she's eaten? She didn't think it was that long ago, but her stomach said otherwise. Smith was lucky no one was around to hear that, or her anonymity would have been out the door. She pulled some dried fruit out of the small bag hooked to her hip, nibbling on the food while still watching the clearing. The Octavia girl had left with another boy, chasing after a butterfly. They were all so awestruck.

But then again, Smith had spent all of her eighteen years on the ground, not up in a space station. It must be so cramped, never being able to adventure out of the set halls and passages. Here there were any number of ways to travel, so many paths to take. She had spent her entire life in these woods and still hasn't explored every inch. The way these teens took in everything made her almost envious. She wished she could forget everything she knew about the ground and experience it just as they do. She wanted to feel the blatant wonder that stained their faces. She wanted to see the world through their rose tinted glasses. The ground she knew, the one they will soon know, is soaked with blood, some of which she had drawn herself. Ten scars marred she shoulders. Ten kills. She had left her warrior life behind when she became an outcast within the Trikru, opting to do odd jobs around the village.

As the sun sunk lower into the sky and darkness started to press in on the camp, Smith became worried that they weren't going to find him and get stuck out there over night. Her thoughts were still disproved however, when a quiet murmur rippled through the camp. Scattered gasps followed by a loud, "They're back!"

The blonde, the kid with the long hair, and Wells stumbled into the clearing with Jasper in their grasps. They were followed by Bellamy and Murphy, carrying something Smith couldn't quite make out in the darkness.

"Is he?" Someone gasped.

"He's alive," She sighed, obviously not hopeful about his condition. "I need boiled water and strips of cloth for bandages." She said, moving him towards the metal ship. So she was a healer? Smith doubted she knew how to help down on the ground, but at least she knew the basics.

"Who's hungry?" Bellamy asked, showing off his kill a second later. A jaguar. She hated to admit it, but it was pretty impressive.

* * *

"Guys! Bellamy, guys, Bellamy!"

Smith jerked awake at the yelling. She hadn't meant to fall asleep, though judging by the sky, it had only been a few minutes. She had moved further into the woods as the glow of their fire had gotten dangerously close to her position, they noise of the camp had faded, leaving her with her thoughts. With her thoughts came drowsiness.

The noise was close to her, only a few yards away. Who was yelling? Were they in trouble? Why did the others not answer their friend? Jumping out of her tree, Smith decided to investigate. She tucked the poultice into her small bag at her hip, wanting to keep it safe.

Reaching the clearing, she sucked in her breath when she saw a boy tied to the tree by his arms. He was suspended by an orange material. Her people didn't do this. It was the Sky People. But why tie up your own man? It seemed counter productive in a survival situation. But it all came down to one thing. She was going to help him. In doing so, she would reveal herself, but she couldn't just leave some kid hanging from a tree.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly stepped out into the clearing. The kid's head instantly snapped to her, his eyes widening in fear. "Oh god. Please no," he whispered as Smith drew nearer.

Smith shushed him, bringing her finger up to her lips, "I'm going to cut you down, but I'm going to need you to be quiet." She really did not want his friends coming and shooting her before she explained herself. Slowly she pulled out her knife, moving towards the tree he hung from.

The boy quieted, not quite trusting her, but she had a knife and he was tied to a tree. Either way it he didn't have a choice. Smith stuck the knife in between her teeth, scaling the tree slowly, trying not to startle him further. Reaching a sound perch, she started to saw away at the flat material used to bind his hands. It looked similar to a belt.

"What's your name?" She asked quietly, trying to calm his nerves.

"Atom," he muttered, struggling to twist his body so he could watch everything she did.

"Lovely name," she smiled down at him, her teeth glinting in the faint torch light. He shied away, once again finding the situation unsettling. She didn't look dangerous. Her face was soft and young, her short brown hair framing it and falling into her eyes as she worked. She wore a black shirt and worn green cargo pants. She looked like every other girl at the camp, and that was terrifying. He was expecting some vicious killer, not a teenage girl. "You're almost down… This is going to be difficult. I'm gonna have to grab the rope a lower you."

Just as she said that, she cut the last piece of the belt. Before he fell too far, Smith grabbed to rope, straining to hold him up while still gripping her knife in her hand. Slowly but surely- much to her arms displeasure- she lowered him to the ground. Sighing in relief, she jumped down next to him and cut his hands loose.

"Thanks," he mumbled rubbing his wrist. His eyes never left her, even as the knife disappeared into its sheath at her hip. "Why'd you help me?"

"I heard your yells," she shrugged with a small smile. Then she remembered the poultice. Pulling it out of her bag, she handed it to him, pretending that his flinch didn't bother her. "It's a poultice for your friend. The injured one." With that, she placed it in his lap and turned to leave the clearing.

Just as she reached the treeline, he got his sense back, "Wait! What's your name?"

She bit her lip, knowing that even talking to him was a huge risk. Should she tell him her name? Though, it really couldn't do anything. Her people never came over here, so no one would know. Finally she looked up, her eyes uncertain in the flickering light. "Smith."

* * *

 **So this is my new story. Sadly, this one will not be pre-written, but I will keep updates as often as I can. I already have the entirety of season one planned out, I just need to write it.**

 ** _Yu gonplei ste odon_ means "You're fight is over." **


	2. Chapter 2

**A big thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, followed, and just plain read the story so far. It means a lot.**

 **Listen to: "It Had Begun" by Starset**

* * *

DAY 3

Smith rose with the sun. She wanted to reach the Sky People's camp early so that she can set herself up before they woke. After her stunt last night, the group would tighten up security, maybe even setting up patrols.

As she moved about her room, her eyes caught her bow and quiver. Should she bring it? She'd certainly feel a bit better if she had more than a small knife to protect herself. But then again, they had guns. A bow would do nothing against a gun. Biting her lip, she finally reached out and fastened the weapon to her back, leaving her home before she could change her mind again.

Sneaking out of the village had become more difficult as more people came to realize that the rumors of new Sky People were true. Everyone knew of her shameful past, so they were wary of where she disappeared to everyday. Thankfully, Smith had managed to convince Nyko and a few others who still associated themselves with her to cover for her absences.

Arriving at their camp, she shimmied up her tree. It was only a matter of time before they would wake. How would they react to a peaceful act from what they call "grounders?" They probably didn't see it as a peaceful act. Just something to make them think that they wanted peace. That's what Smith would believe if she was in their position.

"SMITH!" Jumping in surprise, Smith almost fell out of the tree at the sound of her name. "Smith, are you here?" the voice called again. Frowning, Smith shifted in her tree, trying to get a look at who was yelling her name. Working her way through the trees, she finally spotted him. Atom stood in the same clearing as last night, his hands cupped around his mouth to yell her name.

She shifted to jump down when a flash of movement caught her eye. Three people waited in the trees. At least one of them had a weapon if the gleaming in their hand meant anything. They were trying to trap her. "SMITH!" Atom yelled again. Smith flinched. If one of her people had came by to watch them, she would be screwed. They would label her as a traitor and kill her.

With a sigh, she jumped down, glaring at the boy as she rose from her crouched position. He obviously had not expected her to fall from above as he stumbled back, his eyes wide.

His mouth opened and closed several times, but she cut him off. "Shut up! Do you know how much trouble I'll be in if they find out I'm here?" she hissed, glancing back towards her village. As an after thought she added, "And I know your friends are here."

Caught, the three of them stepped out from behind the trees. The blonde, the one with long hair, Bellamy, and Murphy stood there glaring at the grounder, their makeshift weapons gleaming in the morning sun.

"Who the hell are you?" the blonde demanded, stepping towards Smith in what she supposed was supposed to be threatening.

"Your friend was yelling my name quite loudly not too long ago," Smith said raising an eyebrow. "I'm sure you and the whole damn forest could hear it."

"I don't think you're in the position to be talking like that," Bellamy said moving forward. He had a small hatchet in his hand, poised for attack. Roving his eyes over the girl, he noted that her hands had stayed calmly at her sides, never moving towards the knife or the bow on her back. She stared right back at him, her eyes betraying no emotion. This is what he expected of a grounder, not some girl giving them medicine.

"I'd prefer if no one knew I was here," was all Smith said in response, her eyes skipping over each of them in turn.

"Why'd you give Atom the poultice," the blonde said, cutting to the chase. Smith smirked. She liked her. Blunt and to the point.

"I value life," Smith answered. "My name is Smith, to answer your earlier question. What is your name?"

"Clarke Griffin," she answered, narrowing her eyes when something flickered in Smith's eyes when she said her name. "This is Finn Collins and Bellamy Blake."

"Clarke," the boy who had to be Finn hissed at her, "you shouldn't tell her who we are."

"I do not wish to harm any of you," Smith said, not taking her eyes off of Clarke. She felt a lump form in her throat when she looked at her, imagining a time that has long since passed. Turning her head to the side, Smith cleared her throat.

"Then why did you spear Jasper?" Finn said as he moved to stand in front of Clarke slightly. He cared for her, Smith noted.

"I didn't," she said, "my people did. You were close to a village. It was a warning."

"You almost killed one of us as a warning?" Bellamy spat.

"After what happened last time, we could not take any chances," Smith realized her mistake almost as soon as the words left her mouth. They didn't know about the last Sky People.

"Last time?" Clarke asked, stepping past Finn and stopping right in front of the foreign girl. She stood taller than the blonder, her presence fiercer and more worn.

"There were other Sky People before you," Smith said. Clarke looked back at her companions, not quite sure what to make of her little confession. Did she believe her? No. She didn't. There was no way that the Ark would have been able to conceal the launch of an exodus ship. Besides, who would have gone down? "I can show you."

"Show us?" Finn repeated, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"The ship," Smith clarified. "I know where it is. I was there."

Clarke searched her face, looking for a reason to distrust the girl standing before them. A very obvious one would be that she was a grounder, but that was negated by the fact that she gave Atom the poultice. She doubted that was to gain their trust. It's not like she knew Atom would be there. Bellamy must have seen her start to weaken.

"There is no way you're even considering this," he growled. "It's probably an ambush!"

"Like the one she willingly walked into to make sure her people didn't know she was here?" Clarke asked, her voice expressing all the hate she felt towards the man.

"I'm sensing some tension," Smith said, her eyes darting back and forth between the two. "If you do not wish to see the ship, that is fine, but I ask that you let me go."

"I want to see that ship," Clarke said tearing her eyes away from Bellamy. "If it's there, I'll trust you."

"You're not going with her alone," Finn said. "I'm going too."

"I am also," Bellamy said. He glared at the grounder, his hand tightening around the hatchet. "Atom, go back to camp and get us supplies."

Atom scrambled from the clearing, moving quickly towards the camp. Smith stood opposite the Sky People, her face blank. This was a terrible idea. The path to the last camp is long and dangerous, edging close to Mountain Men territory. But if she wanted them to trust her, she had no choice. She could just run. She knew the land better than they did which made her escape probable. But she wanted to help them, and that meant getting them to trust her.

"You're not going armed," Bellamy said, breaking the tense silence. Glancing at him, Smith nodded before dropping her bow and quiver to the ground, her knife following soon after. Bellamy raised an eyebrow before striding over to her in three quick steps. She glance back at him warily, her eyes moving to the hatchet still grasped firmly in his hand.

"What are you doing?" Clarke demanded.

"Checking her for more weapons," he responded, roughly searching the girl. She stared back at him, her brown eyes boring holes into his as his hand grazed over her clothing. Satisfied, he stepped back as Atom rushed back into the clearing, three bags slung over his shoulder.

"How far away is it?" Clarke asked grabbing the bads from Atom. He took one last look at Smith before leaving the clearing and heading back to the dropship.

"About ten miles," Smith said jutting her chin in the direction of the ship. "I know the land well, but it will still be dangerous. You must listen to what I say."

Bellamy started to say something, probably refuse, but Clarke promptly cut him off, "As long as it doesn't lead us off a cliff, we'll follow."

Smith nodded and turned to leave. She didn't look back to see if they followed, but she could easily hear them as they stomped through the undergrowth. Rolling her eyes, she continued on, her footsteps silent and precise. This could very well be a suicide mission, so she opted to spend what might be her last day on earth in quiet reflection. The three people behind her, however, had other ideas. They talked amongst themselves, their voices carrying through the trees. She let it slide for a while, but when she got to the edge of her people's land, she had to put a stop to it.

Huffing she spun to face them, almost knocking into Bellamy as she did so. Brushing it off, she glared at them. "You need to keep your voices down. We're about to enter very dangerous territory, and I would prefer not to get caught."

"Why are you so scared of your own people?" Finn asked, jogging up to walk next to the girl.

"I'm not scared," she murmured, her eyes once again focused on the trees in front of them. Shaking his head, he fell back once again to walk with Clarke, knowing an absurd task when he saw it. Bellamy moved forward to take his spot, his hatchet at his side. Glancing at him, Smith took in guarded expression and was reminded of her previous conclusion. He was hiding something, and it was eating away at his mind. The only time Smith had felt that same way was after her first kill. She had been training under a fellow warrior, a young man long since passed. When she was thirteen, and while the nations still warred with one another, she took up the job of warrior, protecting her people. But killing someone, even in the name of protection, it eats away at you, gutting your mind like a fish. It was a long time before she started to recover, though it was not very long until her next kill.

Shaking her thoughts from her head, she picked up her pace slightly. The sun was already boring down on their heads marking noon, meaning they had been walking for at least and hour or two. If she was alone, she would be able to travel much quicker, but they had little experience walking through the woods. Determined to keep up with her so he could watch her every move, Bellamy sped up also. He was getting tired, though. He had no idea how she kept up this pace.

"Let's take a break," Clarke announced. All of the Arkers sighed in relief, while Smith looked about anxiously. Catching her expression, Clarke added."We'll go in a minute. We just need to rest and take a drink."

Smith stiffly nodded and sat on the roots of a nearby tree, pulling out some dried fruit. She watched them drink, her eyes darting between them and their weapons. Though she understood their demands, she felt incredibly vulnerable without anything to defend herself. Distracted by her musings, she didn't notice Finn walking up to her. She only saw his water bottle as he shoved it by her face.

"Drink," he said with a friendly smile. "We don't need our guide passing out from dehydration."

Smith blinked a few times before hesitantly reaching out to take the bottle. She didn't want to seem rude, but she also didn't fully trust this gesture, so she sniffed at the rim of the bottle. Satisfied, she tipped it back and took a sip, the water cooling her down. Hearing him chuckle, she tilted her head to the side in confusion as she handed back the water.

"Did I say something amusing?" she asked, causing Bellamy to snort.

"No," Finn said, ignoring the man, "I just find it amusing how you're just as worried about us killing you."

Off to the side, Bellamy watched with barely masked suspicion. Grounders were bad news and he didn't trust Smith one bit. But having someone who knew the land, knew how to hunt and scavenge, it would be to his advantage. Food will make the delinquentes listen to him. That's what Bellamy needed, control. If it came at the price of working with a grounder, he would live with it. The Ark could not come down, and Smith would help him achieve that. A means to an end.

After a few more minutes of sitting around, they finally started to move again. Clarke watched as some of the tension left Smith's shoulders when they left the clearing. What had her so scared? Would she really get in trouble for being with them? Biting her lip, she let her thoughts drift to the reason for their hike. Another dropship. Smith had made no mention of how they fared, but she referred to them in the past tense. She had a sinking feeling that there would be no survivors when they arrived at them camp.

* * *

An hour after the break, Smith told them they were getting close. Clarke gazed around. The woods were quiet, almost silent compared to the sounds of life at camp. The forest here had a strange atmosphere, heavy and unsettling. Glancing to the side, her eyes caught a rather pronounce blood stain maring a large tree, and the atmosphere suddenly became even more unsettling. Sucking in a breath, she nudged Finn, pointing out the stain. Was this really a trap? Did the grounders do this with every enemy they came across.

Smith strode ahead, forcing herself to ignore the stains and memories. She had lost so much here. Squaring her shoulders, she marched ahead, never breaking stride despite the tightness in her chest and the burning behind her eyes. She never thought she would voluntarily return to this place. She never thought she'd return at all. As subtly as she could, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, clearing her vision.

With eyes now clear, she caught the silver line that stretched itself across the ground between two tree. Bellamy, however, had not seen it, and his foot was about to trip it. Without thinking it through, Smith grabbed his arm, pulling him back and stepping in front of him in the same movement, leaving herself completely exposed.

"What the hell?" Bellamy growled, stumbling to regain his balance. In an instant, his hatchet was out and dangerously close to Smith's neck.

"Bellamy, look," Clarke said her hand shooting out to lower his weapon. She had just spotted what Smith had just stopped Bellamy from stepping on. "It's a tripwire."

"Rigged to explosives," Smith whispered, her voice sounding quite far off. "The last Sky People used these for protection. I thought they were all gone…" She trailed over, her eyes glossed over with memories. Taking a deep breath, continued on, stepping over the wire and moving towards the camp. The other three followed behind, not wanting to be left alone in such an eerie place.

When they caught up to her, Smith was standing in the middle of a new clearing staring at a dropship much like their own. She didn't turn around when they entered, but from the way her shoulders tense, Clarke knew she could tell they were there. She caught Finn and Bellamy looking up to the trees, searching for grounders, but she knew there wasn't any. This place felt dead, like hollowed ground. Smith had been telling the truth. Clarke stepped forward, placing her hand on the other girl's shoulder. She didn't know what happened here, but whatever it was, Smith had been a part of it, and it had hurt her.

"What happened?" Finn breathed, "To the other Arkers?"

Clarke felt Smith tense when he asked, her whole body becoming stock still. She wasn't exactly sure how much she trusted the grounder, but she helped improved Jasper's chance of survival with that poultice and told them something even their own people hadn't. She deserved a break. "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," Clarke cooed, her motherly instinct taking over even though Smith was older than her and more dangerous than she could ever imagine.

"Of course she does!" Bellamy yelled, striding up and ripping Smith from Clarke's grasp. He pulled her up by the front of her shirt, their faces level as her glared at her. "What happened here?" he breathed, his hot breath coming out in angry puffs over her face.

"Let go of me," Smith hissed, bringing both her feet up and kicking him in the stomach with her entire body weight, causing him to fall to the ground. Smith, however, managed to get her feet back underneath her, landing gracefully in a crouch.

Bellamy jumped back to his feet, and was about to charge at her again, but Finn stepped between them, putting a hand on the older boy's chest. "Calm down, man," he muttered as Clarke helped Smith back to her feet. She thanked the blonde with a nod before turning back to the fuming man being held back by Finn.

"Did they kill them," Bellamy growled at Smith, his vision red with anger, "Did your people kill them? Did _you_ kill them?"

"They killed themselves," she answered.

* * *

 **Whoo chapter two! I wanted to elaborate on my own story line while I still had the chance, and since nothing happens on day three, it felt perfect, so I'm sorry if it feels like they met her too soon.**

 **On the down side, school is starting next week, which means writing will get to be a bit more difficult. I promise to get the chapters out as fast as possible, but I do have a bit of a busy schedule so here's hoping!**


	3. Chapter 3

**LISTEN TO: "Carry On My Wayward Son" by Kansas**

* * *

DAY 3

Clarke shifted slightly, her eyes widening at Smith's cold tone. Killed themselves. From the way she said it, it wasn't a suicide, but rather that they _got_ themselves killed. But the cold fury that laced her voice… it was unsettling and perplexing. What was her connection with the last group, and why did she feel the need to help them?

Breaking the silence in the only way she knew how, Clarke asked a question that had been nagging at her for a while. "Where are all the bodies?"

Smith turned from Bellamy, staring at the blonde with eyes that didn't quite mask her emotions. Her voice sounded thick, cracking several times, when she finally muttered, "I buried them. All twenty."

Hearing that, Bellamy stopped fuming, his eyes softening just slightly. The pain in her voice, the way her body almost folded in on itself with guilt, he knew that she didn't kill those people, though she carried some burden of their deaths. He didn't trust her, but he knew that no one can fake that type of self-hatred. Ever since he shot Jaha, he felt the same crushing self-loathing, the same feeling of unworthiness.

"We should head back," Smith muttered, glancing at the sky and avoiding the looks from the Sky People. "The sun is beginning to set, and I cannot return home too late, or I risk suspicion." She moved to the ship, her fingers ghosting over the side before entering the gaping entrance. She remembered what Clarke had said the second day after they arrived. The wristbands helped them communicate with their people, but they were taking them off. Gazing around the dusty room, she easily located the object she wanted. She had seen the Sky People try to work it several times while they lived here.

Returning back to the three, she saw that their faces were filled with sympathy (excluding Bellamy, who showed nothing but slight understanding). Seeing them feel sorry for her caused anger to bubble in her stomach. Why should they feel sorry? The past is in the past. She had made a mistake and she paid for it. She didn't need their sympathy, nor did she want it. But then again, she had received nothing but bitter backlash from her people, no kind words over her loss, just anger and disgust. Maybe sympathy could help with the knot in her stomach. Maybe they could help her fix her broken pieces she had hastily bound together to keep herself from falling. _No, they couldn't. They aren't your people. They don't trust you. They are just using you. They're just as broken as you are,_ she thought, her anger reaching a boiling point.

"Smith, are you ok?" Finn asked appearing by the grounder's side. He touched her shoulder, but she flinched back as if burned, coming out of her thoughts with a murderous glance at him.

"I'm fine," she hissed, stomping down the ramp and shoving the small box shaped thing she had been carrying at Clarke. "The last Sky People tried to communicate with their people using that. Maybe you'll have better luck." Clarke hesitantly took the radio, missing Bellamy's gaze darken at the mention of it. "Let's head out."

* * *

The three hour walk back to camp had been spent in tense silence with Smith stewing in her own thoughts, and no one brave enough to interrupt her thoughts. Smith wanted to leave them, just go to her village and never return again. They would probably like that. But she could do it. She needed to keep these kids safe. It felt like that was the only way to lessen the guilt she felt, to ease the burden.

Arriving back at the clearing, Smith grabbed her weapons and strapped them back on. The sun was low on the horizon, marking the end of the Sky People's third day on earth. Without looking back at them, she started out of the clearing, needing to be one her own to clear her head.

"Wait!" Clarke called, stopping her just before she stepped out of sight. "The poultice, do you know what it was made out of? The jar was almost empty when you gave it to me, and Jasper... he needs the antibiotics."

"I do not know," she shook her head, not turning around. "I'll ask our healer and tell you tomorrow."

* * *

Smith was laying in her bed, her head swimming. Returning to the ship hurt more than she anticipated, and it left her reeling. The wounds were still raw, her nerves exposed. But she couldn't let it get to her. Fear and pain were weakness and weakness meant death. She always thought death was more honorable than giving up, and her people were all about honor, but she didn't want to die. Plain and simple.

Rolling over, she let the thoughts drift elsewhere, to the three she meet today. She like Clarke. She seemed honest and caring, traits that were rare in the world. She had a desire for success, just like Smith.

She couldn't quite get a read on Finn. He seemed easy going, and he had been the first to extend a helping hand to her, despite the fact that mistrust still permeated the air. She could tell that he had a kind heart, though she felt odd when he was near her. He had an air around him that made her uncomfortable.

Then there was Bellamy. He didn't trust her at all, he made that much clear. Admittedly, she lost her cool earlier, fighting back when he provoked her. That may not have been the best idea, but it felt _good_ to get her anger out, to push back. On the walk back, she noticed his gaze drifting back to her when he wasn't staring at the radio. The looks, they were filled with pity- though suspicion was still laced through the expression. Who was he to feel sorry for her? He had no idea what she had done! He didn't know about the terrible things she's had to do, the scared that mark her, both visible and invisible.

With a huff, she cleared her mind, willing herself to drift into sleep.

* * *

DAY 5

Smith hadn't returned to the Sky People yesterday as she promised. Suspicions were beginning to rise, so she stayed around the village. Jasper needed the poultice, but she couldn't risk leaving and alerting her people to her traitorous acts. She hoped that it wasn't too late to tell Clarke today.

Reaching the outskirts of their camp, she stopped. Should she just walk up? Did they tell everyone about her? Worrying her lip, she looked longingly back at her tree, the one she had stayed in the first two days. How had it gone from simple to complicated in only two days?

"Smith?" a voice called, pulling her out of her thoughts. Looking up, her eyes met Finn's smiling face as he jogged toward her. "Hey, where were you yesterday?"

"I couldn't leave my village," she mumbled.

Nodding, Finn turned toward the camp."Let's go see Clarke. She's wanted to see you."

Suddenly nervous, Smith followed after the boy, her mind thinking about how the Sky People would react to seeing her. They didn't seem like a friendly bunch. Her fears, however, were for naught when all they did was point and whisper at her arrival. Scanning her surroundings, she took in their tired looks and the moaning coming from the ship. Putting two and two together, she figured that they didn't care who she was as long as she could put a stop to the boy's sounds of pain.

"Wait right here," Finn said before leaving her alone in the middle of the camp, running up into the ship. Smith sucked her lip into her mouth, glancing at around her. Literally everyone in the camp was staring at her. Closing her eyes, she waited until she heard footsteps approaching to open them.

Opening her eyes, she stood straighter when Clarke and another boy, Wells the Chancellor, marched up to the pair. Watching her, Finna saw fear and what looked like anger sparking in her eyes. When he noticed her, Wells froze slightly, taking in the new arrival with barely concealed shock, before walking towards the girl with a stiff smile.

"I'm Wells. It's nice finally meet you, Smith," he said holding his hand out in what he hoped was a placating gesture. The grounder stared at his hand for a moment, before grabbing his forearm and nodding at his welcome. Slightly taken aback, Wells gripped her forearm in return, taking in the serious expression on her face.

"I hope you don't mind we told the camp about you," Clarke said after she released Wells' arm. "I thought it would be best in case you came back and no one you knew was here. That way they would freak."

"It is fine," she nodded, her confidence slowly returning. She was a warrior. She had no reason to be afraid, no reason to worry. It was silly to even be nervous. "I asked our healer about the poultice," she added after a moment, clarifying her reason for coming.

"Thanks, but Wells here actually knew what it was," Clarke said, a tightlipped smile spreading across her face as she waved at the dark skinned boy. "It's a red seaweed. We're actually heading off to grab it now, if you would like to join."

"Of course, I-"

"Actually," a voice drawled, cutting her off. At the same time, a hand came to a rest on her shoulder. Resisting the urge to pull her knife, she took a deep breath. "she's coming hunting with me."

Spinning around, Smith came face-to-chest with a smirking Bellamy Blake. Shaking his hand off her shoulder with a vicious force, she hissed, "Don't touch me." After her outburst she froze, her eyes widening and her murderous scowl slipped off her face. She blinked rapidly a second later, taking in his miffed look. "I apologize," she muttered diplomatically. "That was uncalled for… though I wouldn't suggest sneaking up on- what do you call us? Grounders?"

Bellamy laughed, startling Smith. She had expected anger or backlash, not laughter. "You do have a point," he grinned, taking her even further by surprise. "But I was serious about the hunting. You know the area, and you probably have better aim with that," he continued, pointing at her bow, "than I do with my hatchet."

Smith looked back at Clarke. She didn't need her permission, but she wasn't sure what to make of this gesture. Bellamy's attitude had done a 180 from the cold and suspicious air yesterday. Now he seemed _friendly_. Every instinct Smith had told her that he was up to something, that the smile he wore was all for show. He wanted something, and he believed she could get it for him.

"That's actually a pretty good idea," Clarke said conceding. "We need food, and Smith, you know how to hunt. Do you mind?"

"No," she sighed, her eyes sweeping over Bellamy with a blank look. She would play his game, figure out what web he was weaving and how she fit into it.

Jasper let out groan louder than the ones before it, causing Clarke to glance at the ship in concern. "We have to go," she said to Wells and Finn, marching away without a glance backwards.

"Clarke!" Smith yelled. She waited for the blonde to stop, knowing that she had her attention. "Please, whatever you do, don't cross the river."

With a nod, they disappeared into the trees.

* * *

Smith stalked silently through the bush, her eyes trained on the wild boar. Bellamy watched from beside her, trying match the delicate way her feet hit the ground. If he wanted to hunt, he would have to walk like a grounder.

At least five other boys- and one girl- stood around, trying to cage the pig in. Most, however, watched the grounder move, her bow out with an arrow notched. She kept the arrowhead pointed down to the ground, but none of them could shake the uneasy feeling that crept into their guts.

Taking a deep breath, Smith prepared to let the arrow fly. Just as her fingers loosened, a loud noise erupted from behind them. Bellamy, startled, threw his hatchet at the noise, barely missing the young girl that stood there.

The pig, scared by the noise, started to run, but fell over with a squeal when an arrow stuck itself in its leg. Ignoring the commotion behind her, Smith approached the boar, unsheathing her knife slowly. It flailed about, trying in vain to stand on its hurt leg. Quickly, she killed it, putting it out its misery, muttering a thank you.

She started to clean off her knife, still crouched over the boar, when she heard the horn. The Sky People looked about confused, unsure of what it meant. But Smith did know. Panicked she snapped to her feet, her knife away.

"Hurry, we must leave," she yelled to the scattered kids. Bellamy gazed at her with growing worry. Her normal stoic expression had been replaced by a frightened, wide eyed look, her skin paler than it had been only a few moments before. "There are caves nearby. We have to get to them."

"What are you talking about?" Atom asked, not noticing her growing panic. "What does that horn mean? Is it an attack?"

"No," she hissed, moving forward, heading toward the caves they passed early. "It means acid fog."

Before anyone could reply, they saw it, a looming cloud of yellow fog. It moved toward them steadily, swallowing trees before moving on to its next victim. Finally getting the danger, all of them rushed to move at once, Bellamy grabbing a girl- who Smith guessed had caused the noise- and pulling her away. They followed Smith, moving over with the uneven ground with a haste that could be dangerous.

When the caves were in sight, she pulled back, watching all the Sky People, making sure they all got to safety. Counting heads as they went by, her numbers slowly added up to match the number who had left that morning. Nodding to herself, she brought up the rear, the acid closing in faster than she would have liked. In front of her, the little girl fell. Bellamy went back to help her, but stopped when Smith scooped her up in her arms, running towards him, the acid licking the back of her clothes. Rushing forward, Smith gasped when she was yanked to the side into a cave she hadn't seen, the acid closing in on where she had been.

Catching her breath, she let the girl down, leaning against the wall. Once her pounding heart had slowed, she straightened, regarding Bellamy with appreciation. "Thank you. You saved our lives."

He nodded, looking at the girl curled up on the floor in the back of the cave. "Are you ok Charlotte?" Hearing a quiet yes, he turned back to the spooked grounder. "How long will it last?"

"It depends," she answered, sinking down to the floor with a drawn out sigh. "But we're probably stuck here for the night."

* * *

With a gasp, Smith jerked away, her hand flying to her knife. Squinting in the darkness, she tried to make out what had woken her up. When she heard muffled talking, it all came back to her; hunting, the acid fog, Bellamy saving her. Moving toward the two, she saw them in the back, Bellamy smiling kindly at the whimpering girl. She had a nightmare.

"You know," she said, coming to a rest next to the pair. She squatted down to look Charlotte in the eyes, giving her a rare smile. "There's no shame in fear, only in cowardice. We're all scared of something."

Sniffling Charlotte latched onto every word Smith said. "What are you scared of?"

Chuckling, Smith fingered her chin, pretending to be in deep thought. Honestly, she didn't know what to tell the kid. The things she's scared of- Mountain Men, Reapers, being caught- would just make her even more scared. Finally she settled on one of her few irrational fears. "I'm terrified of the water," she whispered as if conspiring, "I was never able to put my head under the water."

From beside her, Bellamy snorted, choking back a laugh. Raising an eyebrow humorously, Smith stared him down. "You find my fear funny?"

"No, it's just so human," he explained. The girl in front of him seemed like a fearless warrior, so when she said that she was scared of _water,_ he lost it. The grounder suddenly lost some of their otherworldliness with her admission, becoming more human-like in his imagination. They were no longer fighting faceless monsters, but people just like them.

"How do you deal with it?" Charlotte asked, taking in the grounder's fearless attitude.

"I just keep moving," She answered, settling back against the wall. "The fear can't stop me if I keep moving forward."

"I don't know if I can do that," Charlotte whispered, her face crumpling.

"Fears are fears," Bellamy cut in, "Slay your demons when you're awake, and they won't be there to get you when you sleep."

"Yeah… but how?" she asked. Smith felt bad for the girl. She, herself, had been living in fear almost her entire life. She had been thrown into a war when she was no older than her, killing people from other nations with no mercy. Then the previous Sky People betrayed her, forcing her to go before her people. Now she must fear being marked and killed as a traitor.

"You can't afford to be weak," he continued, "Down here, weakness is death, fear is death. Let me see that knife I gave you." Charlotte passed him a small knife that looked like it was made from scraps of their ship. Smith made a mental note to try and sneak them better weapons. "Now, when you feel afraid, you hold tight to that knife and you say, 'screw you. I'm not afraid.'"

Smith watched silently as Charlotte tried out the words, timidly at first, then harsh and powerful after some prodding by Bellamy. Smiling, he patted her on the back. "Slay your demons, kid. Then you'll be able to sleep."

Leaning back, Smith smiled softly at the thought. To slay her demons… If only she could. Closing her eyes, she drifted in and out of sleep, wondering if maybe, just maybe, she could also follow Bellamy's advice.

As Smith and Charlotte, drifted off, Bellamy stayed up, thinking about what he told the kid. Slay your demons. He told himself that's what he's doing by keeping the Arkers up in the sky. If they came down, he loses everything. If they came down, he would die.

* * *

 **And that is chapter three! Thank you to everyone that reviewed, favorited, and read the previous chapters, though my traffic stats thing is broken so I can't actually see how many people read them.**

 **So, how did the Sky People betray Smith? Stay tuned to find out!**


	4. Chapter 4

**LISTEN TO: "Am I Not Human?" by Two Steps From Hell**

* * *

DAY 6

Like always, Smith rose at dawn, her eyes adjusting quickly to the dim light. Stretching carefully, she moved to the entrance of the cave, knowing that the acid fog was over, but still felt the need to check. Had any of her people been caught in the storm? The warning had saved their lives, so she hoped that whoever had sent the signal was still alive. She stood there for a while, an hour at most, before she heard footsteps approaching her from behind

"Is it gone?" Bellamy asked, coming to a stop next to Smith. Glancing at him, she took in his messy hair and bleary eyes. He hadn't slept well.

"Yes," she muttered stepping out into the light. "I have to go, my people will start to question where I am. Can you find your way back?"

He nodded, not looking at her. "Yeah, we'll be fine."

Without looking back, she slipped out into the humid morning air. She heard Bellamy and Charlotte exit the cave also before she entered the trees, leaving them behind.

She walked slowly, not terribly worried about getting there. It's easy enough to say she got stuck out in the acid fog because, after all, that is what happened. They had no specific reason to believe that she was out with the Sky People, making it easy to lie.

As she continued, she heard a scream not too far away. It sounded like a kid. Without thinking, Smith sprinted toward the noise, emerging in a clearing just as Charlotte slipped a knife into Bellamy's hand. Confused, she stepped further into the clearing as Charlotte and the others left. Then she saw him. Atom was laying on the ground, gargling and choking on his breath, he eyes wide and unseeing. Boils covered every inch of his body, his face badly burned. Turning her head to the side, she took a deep breath to steady herself.

"There's nothing to be done," she said, appearing by Bellamy. He was the first Sky Person she officially met, and now there he was, begging to be killed. That was only four days ago, she noted. It seemed strange that so much could change in only short of time. Pulling out her knife, she kneeled next to the boy, smiling softly at him.

"It'll be ok," she whispered, smoothing back his hair. Bellamy watched, unable to tear his eyes away as she hummed quietly to him, the knife inching its way to his neck. She was going to do it, what he was too weak to pull off. She plunged the knife into his neck, whispering softly. " _Yu gonplei ste odon_." Pulling away, she watched as Atom choked on his blood before drawing one last shuddering breath and falling limp.

"What does that mean?" Bellamy whispered, hoping to take his mind off of what just happened. He felt like he was underwater, blood rushing in his ears. Somehow, this was different than what he had done to Jaha, though that still kept him up at night. This was much more personal. He could see the immediate fallout, the life leaving Atom's blind eyes.

"You're fight is over," Smith said, cleaning off her knife with practiced ease. "It is customary to say to the dying or dead."

Standing, she held her hand out to Bellamy, pulling him to his feet. "Was that the first death you have witnessed?" she asked. She could see the uneasiness in his eyes, the confusion over how to feel. She felt similar after her first kill. It's jarring, watching someone's final breath, because it forces you to come to terms with your own mortality. One day, even she would be dead and gone, her name long forgotten. To come to terms with the finite quality of life around you can be trying..

Bellamy shifted, uncomfortable under her steely gaze and abrupt question. She looked so calm, so collected despite what she just did. He didn't know whether to admire her or be frightened. Then came the next thought, should he lie or not? Taking a deep breath, fully intending to lie, a quiet "yes," escaped him. Cursing to himself, he promised that he would not have a moment of weakness like this again. He couldn't if he wanted to stay in control.

Nodding to herself, she placed a hand of his shoulder. "It gets better," she murmured before pulling away when Clarke rushed into the clearing, her breathing ragged.

"I heard screaming," she gasped, taking in the scene before her. Atom was dead on the ground, Bellamy and Smith standing over him. For a fleeting second, she thought they had killed him in cold blood, but taking in the extensive damage to his corpse, she guessed that they found him dying or dead.

"Charlotte found him," Bellamy muttered, jerking his head toward the body at his feet. "I sent her back to camp." Silence enveloped them, suffocating Smith.

"Forgive me," Smith said, breaking the silence, "I must return to my village." With that she left, glancing back only once at the broken teens, concern filling her eyes.

* * *

DAY 7

Smith moved quickly through the trees, taking in the cloudy sky wearily. It didn't feel like rain, but the clouds mean less visibility with less light. She wanted to get to the Sky People's camp soon as she left so abruptly yesterday. Coping with death is difficult, and she wanted to help them as best as she could.

When she walked up to the normal clearing, Bellamy stood, tensed with suppressed anger. Stopping short, she took in his body language, turning hesitating on the edge of the treeline. "You son of a bitch," he hissed, darting forward and punching her on the cheek. Smith saw it coming a mile away, but stood still, turning her head with the force. Bellamy didn't question the fact that she let him hit her, or the fact that she didn't retaliate. He was too angry to notice.

"Bellamy," someone screeched from the side. Clarke ran into the space, having heard the seething man's exclamation and rushed to the scene. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I trusted you!" Bellamy hissed, his face inches from hers. "I actually started to trust you, you bitch."

"What are you talking about?" Smith responded calmly, not retreating but not taking Bellamy's bait. She honestly had no idea what he was talking about, but she knew better than to charge in without knowing what's going on. She would wait, find out where he would take this.

"Wells was murdered, Smith," Clarke said, choking up. She didn't approach the two, taking in how close they stood and how angry Bellamy was.

Everything clicked. Bellamy just accused her of murdering Wells. Reeling back, her vision went white for a second, blinking against the rising anger. It felt like someone had just poured hot iron into her veins, the anger and sheer betrayal she felt. She couldn't believe that he thought she had _killed_ him.

" _How dare you_ ," she growled, her fists balled at her sides. It took all of her willpower not to haul back and punch him. Bellamy blinked, not expecting her anger. "Do you even _realize_ what I'm risking just _being_ here?" Slowly, her voice rose in volume until she was screaming at Bellamy, her face red with anger. "If they find out I come here, they'll _kill_ me. My entire village will stab me one by one until I die!"

Bellamy opened his mouth to say something, anything, to pacify the raging girl in front of him, but she cut him off. "You know, I was willing give up _everything_ to help you survive." She paused, sucking in ragged breath after ragged breath. Finally, she backed away, her hands still clenched at her sides. With a slightly hysteric laugh she spat out, "I can't believe I thought this would end differently than last time. You are _just_ like the last group."

"Smith!" Clarke yelled as the grounder stormed out of the clearing. "Bellamy, I can't believe you! Why on earth would she kill him? She would be the number one suspect."

With that, Clarke, hurried off in the same direction Smith had run off to, yelling her name as she went. Bellamy thought about following, but decided against it. He doubted that she'd come if he was there after what had transpired. As he thought about it, Clarke was right, she had no reason to kill Wells. But when he saw Wells outside the walls, it seemed obvious to him that it had been a grounder, and Smith knew them, they're schedule. But realistically, she was the obvious culprit. From what he'd seen, Smith was intelligent, and he doubted that she'd make such a mistake.

How could he have been so stupid? He had just been so angry when he realized that Smith could have _killed_ one of his people. She had seemed kind, gentle almost, the night before as she and him comforted Charlotte in the cave, talking of fears. It had been easy to forget that she was a dangerous warrior. Then she mercy-killed Atom without blinking an eye, bringing him back to reality. At the time, he didn't seem like such a huge leap that she killed Wells. It had been the same kill, one quick incision to the neck, severing the jugular.

Sighing, he left the clearing, feeling more hate toward himself than ever before. He would apologize to her as soon as he saw her again.

* * *

DAY 8

He waited in the clearing for her to show up, pacing the entire length more times than he could count. He waited for three hours before heading back into camp to help build the wall, realizing she wasn't coming.

Smith sat in a tree, watching Bellamy with a blank expression. She knew Clarke had followed after her yesterday, but she refused to stop. Frankly, she was confused. Had she overreacted yesterday? It seemed that Bellamy acted alone as Clarke obviously didn't think it was her. But it _hurt so damn_ _much_ to watch as they people she wanted to help blamed her for something like murder. That first day, she told them the truth. She valued life among all else.

* * *

DAY 9

Bellamy paced the clearing once again, wishing that Smith would just show up so he could stop feeling so damn guilty. He knew he shouldn't have jumped to the conclusion that he did, but to completely abandon the entire group just because of him? It was childish. But she is a child, not much older than Octavia. They're all children, even him. Perhaps he was the most childish of all of them despite being at least five years older than them. Maybe that was his problem. Even now he was being a child, needing to be reassured before moving on.

Sighing, Bellamy looked to the sky, taking note that it was getting close to noon. Turning around to leave the clearing, he caught sight of movement in the trees. Pausing, he called out tentatively, "Smith?" He searched the branches, looking for what caused the leaves to move. Receiving no answer, his shoulders sagged, leaving the clearing with a single glance back.

Smith shifted, peeling herself away from the tree she had flattened herself up against. The way he said her name, so broken and desperate, she wanted to show herself, but her pride kept her from moving.

* * *

DAY 10

Bellamy sat at the base of a tree, the one he saw the movement in the day before. His eyes were closed, but he was very much awake. The wall was being built, giving him some free time to relax, but how could he? The 100 had lost their best shot at survival because of him. Not only that, but he pissed off a dangerous grounder.

Smith sat in the tree above Bellamy, staring at him with unabashed resentment. Part of her wanted to forgive him, his miserable face pulling at something at her chest. The more sensible part warned her from going near the camp. Were they like the last group? She wasn't sure. Sometimes they seemed like it, but other times… other times she saw such amazement and wonder and loyalty that stood in stark contrast to the last Sky People. Her anger wouldn't last forever, she decided, but she wanted to keep it a little longer.

* * *

DAY 11

Today was the first day that Bellamy had not showed up to the clearing. Of course, the day she decided to forgive him, he had given up trying to talk to her. In the distance, she could hear them yelling but as of right now, it was not her problem. Leaving, she went back to her village, ignoring the stares she received.

" _Smith,_ " Nyko said grabbing her arm as she passed by. " _I must speak with you._ " With that he walked toward the makeshift clinic, never looking back to see if she followed. He knew that she would. She couldn't afford to be seen not listening to the healer. Meandering after him, she found herself worrying over why he wanted to talk.

Entering the home, she hesitated just inside the doorway. For a second, she contemplated just walking away screwing her fragile reputation. Seeing her thoughts play out on her face, Nyko smiled. " _I am not here to reprimand you, Smith._ "

" _But it is about the Sky People?"_ she inquired, moving into the room, standing now in the center of the room, her chin raised. Feeling less uncomfortable, she regained her confident air, no longer fearing the talk.

" _Yes,"_ he answered. It was just like her to skip right to the point, but in their culture, that was considered admirable. " _I wanted to warn you. People are starting to question your absences. I cannot cover for you forever._ "

Turning away from him, Smith started to pace, a frown marring her face. She knew this would come but had hoped that it wouldn't be so soon. Nyko risked almost as much as she did when he lied for her, and she couldn't ask him to do that for her. No one would risk their life for hers. " _You don't have to cover for me anymore. I will deal with the consequences of my actions when they come_."

" _They'll kill you,_ " he said.

" _Then they will kill me,_ " she growled. " _I have spent the last week terrified that they would find out about my interest in the Sky People, and I'm tired of it. I need to move past my fear! I will not be scared of my own people, of death!_ "

They lapsed into silence, Smith's rant sinking in. Her breathing was irregular, but she felt better than she had since she first revealed herself to the Sky People. It felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, her fear slipping away. It was just like she told Charlotte in the cave. Move past your fears, don't let them have power over you. For almost two weeks she had let her fear control her, but now she was done. If they found out, she would face death with her head held high.

" _I like you, Smith,_ " he said, grabbing her arm to turn her toward him. He looked into her eyes, taking in the determined look. "Y _ou're my friend, and I cannot stand by as you throw your life away for strangers!_ "

" _I already did, Nyko,_ " she sighed, pulling away from him and looking away. She's knew him since she was a child. He watched over as a child and as a teenager, her parents off on many missions for the Commander. He meant so much to her, and she couldn't let him die for her.

" _You can still walk away,_ " he insisted. He knew that arguing with her was futile, but he needed her to be safe. He promised himself that he would keep her safe. Why hadn't he put a stop to this sooner?

" _We both know that's not true,_ " she said softly, a mirthless smile crossing her face. " _I dug my grave a year and a half ago. Now I must accept my fate._ "

" _You're so much like your parents,_ " Nyko whispered, knowing that they were a sensitive topic. Many people died in the war, her parents being just two casualties of the carnage before the coalition. " _Such strength and courage._ "

" _Thank you,_ " Smith said, her eyes filling with tears. She didn't like to think of her parents, the pain still fresh. She didn't get to say goodbye to them, she had been busy making negotiations with the previous Sky People, and it hurt so much to know that she would never see them again. " _I… I need sometime to think._ "

" _Just stay alive, Smith. I don't care what side you're on, just stay alive_."

* * *

DAY 12- EARLY MORNING.

Smith had stayed out all night, trying to clear her head of what had gone down with Nyko. Should she listen to him and walk away? Every logical solution said yes, walk away, but for some reason, she couldn't. Those kids needed her help whether they knew it or not. They will not survive without help from someone who knew the area. Not only that, but her people were itching to start a war with them and eradicate them. One slip up, and they would not hesitate to attack the teenagers with all their might. They would die without someone to help them. But helping them meant that she had to return to them. She had left without looking back and didn't know if they would take her back. If she was in their place she probably wouldn't.

A faraway yell startled Smith, snapping her to attention in the blink of an eye. Jumping down, she stalked through the trees, edging closer to the noise while keeping a low profile. A few feet in front of her, she caught movement, though it was not the source of the yelling. Someone was doing the same thing she was. Getting closer, she saw a familiar mop of dark curly hair and tense body. Bellamy. He, like her, was crouched low to the ground, trying to move without making a lot of noise. Inching closer, she snuck up on him, her hand darting out to cover his mouth to cut off his yell.

Bellamy spun around, ready to punch whoever grabbed him- which he expected to be Murphy or one of the few who followed him- but froze when he saw Smith of all people. She looked exactly the same as she did before he accused her of Wells murder, all traces of anger gone off of her face. Her dark eyes were once again blank, not blazing with unrestrained fury. He couldn't help but release a relieved sigh as he took all this in.

"Bellamy, what's going on?" she whispered, leaning in close so that they could talk.

"Charlotte killed Wells," he breathed. "I'm, uh, sorry I blamed you," he tacked on lamely before continuing on with the story once she waved her hand dismissively. "We almost killed Murphy because of her and now he wants her dead."

Nodding, Smith grabbed his hand, pulling him through the trees, toward the yelling. If she had to guess, Charlotte would be near there. "We'll find her," she murmured reassuringly to Bellamy.

"Why are you helping me?" he asked a few moments later. He wanted to talk to her, but it felt weird that she just helped him after what he did.

"Because… I would have done the same thing," she muttered, her eyes staring straight ahead. She still grasped her hand in his, pulling him along. "Look, we both said somethings that we shouldn't have, and I'm willing to put it all behind us."

"I didn't know you were risking so much," Bellamy looked to the side, trying to avoid looking at the girl in front of him. When he turned, he caught a glimpse of Charlotte moving between the trees. Tugging gently with the hand that she held, he pointed toward Charlotte. Nodding, she dropped his hand a slinked closer, Bellamy following soon after, trying to mimic her easy yet silent steps.

Bellamy was the one who grabbed her, covering her mouth. She struggled against him, tugging away from him. Smith stood off to the side, keeping watch for Murphy.

"Let me go!" she yelled giving away their position. Smith cursed under her breath as she saw the torches start to move towards them, and Murphy's yells got louder and louder.

"I'm trying…" Bellamy growled, struggling to control the frantic girl. "Hey, hey. I'm trying to help you."

"I'm not your sister! Just stop helping me! I'm over here!" Charlotte screamed, causing the torches to move even faster through the trees as the confirmed the direction the first shout had come from.

"Bellamy, we have to go," Smith hissed. She drew her knife, hoping that seeing her armed would deter anyone from trying to hurt them.

"Are you trying to get us all killed?" Bellamy hissed, "Damnit, Smith go find Clarke, now."

Smith nodded, handing him her knife before slipping off into the trees. She could hear Murphy yelling. Picking up her pace, she found Clarke and Finn sprinting, trying to get to Bellamy and Charlotte she supposed. Emerging in front of them, they screeched to a halt. Clarke caught her breath her eyes wide.

"Smith?" she breathed, not quite believing her eyes. After what happened five days ago, she assumed that she was done with them.

"They're this way," was all Smith said, turning and walking off towards where she just came from. Clarke and Finn shared a look before hurrying after her.

"Maybe not, but I guarantee I'll take a few of you with me," Bellamy threatened as they entered the clearing, her knife held tightly in his hand.

"Bellamy! Stop!" Clarke yelled, alerting them to their presence. "This has gone too far. Just calm down. We'll talk about this."

"I'm sick of listening to you talk," Murphy sneered, making a grab at Clarke not a moment later. Seeing his move, Smith pushed her away, growling when the angry teen wrapped his arms around her, a crude knife shoved close to her throat. He didn't seem to care that he got the wrong target. He actually seemed pleased with himself that he could control a grounder, the boogeymen the haunted them. Under normal circumstances, she would easily be able to break free from his grip, but his knife was too close to her neck to escape without a cut. A clean cut would attract attention, so she was essentially stuck.

"Let her go," Bellamy said his eyes flashing in the dim light. From where he stood, Smith looked completely calm, like this was an everyday occurrence. Even though she didn't look ruffled, he could not allow Murphy to threaten any one of them, Smith included.

Clarke watched all this by Finn's side, not knowing how to stop the chaos. More than ever, she wished she had never confronted Murphy. This was all her fault, and not Smith might die because of her. It was _supposed_ to be her with a knife against her throat.

"I will slit her throat," Murphy spat when Bellamy tried to move closer.

"Go ahead," Smith cut in, her voice low. "Kill me if you want, but just remember, blood will have blood. You kill an innocent person, you will get what you have coming."

"Those are pretty words considering that little bitch killed that Wells kid and almost got me killed."

"Blood will have blood," was her only reply, not looking at anyone. Her eyes gazed forward, just passed Bellamy's shoulder. Honestly, she didn't care if she died. Sure, she had hoped that it wouldn't come so soon, but it's like she told Nyko, she's prepared to pay for her actions, this being one of them.

"Don't hurt her!" Charlotte yelled, not quite following what was going on. All she saw was the knife pressed against Smith's throat.

"Don't hurt her?" Murphy growled, "Okay, I'll make you a deal. You come with me right now, and I will let her go."

"Don't do it, Charlotte," Bellamy said taking in the glint in Smith's eyes. He knew what that meant, she thought that Charlotte deserved to pay for her mistake. While he didn't believe in what she did, all he could see was a kid, lost and confused. Charlotte killed Wells on his advice, just as he had shot Jaha. Like it or not, Bellamy saw himself in the kid, and he would fight for her.

"No! No, I have to! Murphy, this is not happening. I can't let any of you get hurt anymore. Not because of me. Not after what I did." With that Charlotte turned and jumped off of the cliff behind her, making her decision.

Murphy's armed slackened around the Smith, giving her the opportunity to work her way out of his arms, stumbling a few steps. Her absence was soon replaced by Bellamy, who proceeded to beat the startled bully to a pulp, landing punch after brutal punch square on his face. Smith watched silently, detached. Her grounder upbringing had taught her that death must have a cost for life to have meaning, so she agreed that Charlotte had to die for her involvement in Wells' murder. They were different from her, and it was difficult to see things from their point of view.

"Bellamy stop!" Clarke yelled, rushing forward, "You'll kill him!"

Smith watched as they fought, not wanting to intrude on their argument. It wasn't her place to decide what happens to their people. That could only be decided by them and them alone. So she watched in silence as they ruled to banish him, Bellamy throwing in a final threat before leaving him to die. As the others started to leave the clearing, Smith took it as a sign to leave also.

"Smith," Bellamy called, stopping her in her tracks. Facing him, she watched as he produced her knife, the blade pointed toward the ground of the now empty cliff. Everyone but them had left for their camp. "I believe this is yours."

"Thanks," she said, her voice quiet. They probably saw her differently now that she revealed the extent her "grounder nature" to them. She took her knife, sheathing it.

"Look," he sighed, not really knowing how to put what he wanted to say. He always sucked at apologies, this being no different. "I'm sorry I blamed you."

"I already told you, it's fine," she huffed stiffly. She was done with it and didn't want to talk about it anymore than he did.

"But it's not," he insisted, looking at the ground in front of him. "You have been nothing but helpful. I want you to know… that you're welcome at our camp anytime." Smith smiled softly, laughing quietly. Bellamy looked up, frowning, but when he saw her smile, he grinned also. "Let's head back," he said making his way back to camp with a new friend by his side.

Smith followed him, a smile still planted on her face. _Maybe things really will be different this time._

* * *

 **Thus ends chapter four. I hope you enjoy it. As always, thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and just viewed it.**

 **Also, if you have any questions about Smith that you would like me to clarify, I will be happy to do so as long as I don't plan to reveal it sometime in the fic.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Listen to: "Mother I'm Here" from Bastion**

* * *

DAY 12

A shining light. Smith woke up to a bright light and yelling. "Bellamy, come look at this!" Swiveling, she saw Octavia running towards a tent, Bellamy exiting shortly after, bare chested. Blinking a few times, she tilted her head. She forgot she stayed last night, too tired to make her way back to her camp. She should have made the trip, it'll be so obvious why she stayed out.

"Now we can kick some grounder ass!" a kid yelled before turning to look at the girl sitting off to the side. "Sorry, Smith," he added. Smith rose, her face blank with confusion. It had been a shooting star, not something that can help them defeat her people.

"Please tell me they brought down some shampoo," a girl wrapped in only a blanket muttered, coming to a rest next to Bellamy. Another girl stopped next to him, clothed just as much as the other girl. Shaking her head, Smith asked Octavia what the big deal was. Explaining that the object was probably from their people, Smith finally got the excitement.

"We should get going," someone in the camp said.

"No one's going anywhere," Bellamy yelled, catching everyone's attention. "Not while it's dark."

"He's right," Smith said, looking out over the concerned faces. Many still looked at her with mistrust, some with anger, but most with blatant admiration. They all had heard the story about how she stood still while Murphy threatened her, how she told him to do it. She knew how to work under pressure. She's the one they could trust to make decisions while the stakes were high. Even those who didn't trust her knew she could help them. "My people know they land, they can walk it even in the dark. You won't stand a chance in the darkness."  
"Well what if they get to the pod first. We have to go now," Octavia reasoned to both Bellamy and Smith, trying to get them to see that this was the best option

"They will not go for the object," Smith answered calmly, never losing her cool. "We have been forbidden from going near anything that might be associated with the Sky People. That order came directly from our leader. Anyone who disobeys will be labeled a traitor and killed."

"Then why are you here?" someone asked.

"I have been careful, no one knows I'm here," Smith waved her hand, hoping that her good luck would not run out. She knew that she walked a thin line between life and death, but she couldn't take the leap to safety. She would have to follow the line and see where it goes.

"Smith, I need to talk to you," Bellamy said giving her a stern look. It had only been a few hours since Bellamy's shaky apology and open invitation to their camp, their relationship still a bit rocky and awkward. Following after him, she entered his tent, watching quietly as he pulled on his shirt. "We're going to go get that pod."

"Did you not hear me?" Smith asked, the incredulous hiss escaping her lips before she really knew that she was doing. "They will kill you if you go there."

"I need to get to that pod before everyone else," he said, brushing past her to pick up his hatchet. "I'm going whether you come or not. I just liked my odds better with you there."

Smith frowned, trailing behind him as he crept out of the camp. He had been practicing walking like her, his footsteps almost as silent as hers were. "Why? I mean, I'll go with you, just tell me why."

Bellamy didn't turn to look at her, but she could see his shoulders tense. His whole demeanor shifted, returning once again to the man who hid something behind the grand bravado. Whatever was in that pod, it had him running scared. The idea kinda thrilled Smith in a twisted way. It had been ages since she had actually fought anything, and she needed to get some emotions out.

"Is that a no to telling me?" Smith asked as they walked further away from camp into the darkness of the trees.

"I think I liked it better when you were quiet," Bellamy muttered. This is the most talkative Smith had been to anyone besides Clarke or Charlotte. Most of the time, she just hung back, nothing to be said or done.

"Fine," Smith shrugged. She shut her mouth, her eyes trained on the surrounding trees. He wouldn't admit it, but he wished she would start talking again. The silence unnerved him, his thoughts wandering to what he had to do. He was basically killing everyone on the Ark, and he was possibly killing the 100 too. If they came down, however, Bellamy would be arrested for killing the Chancellor. He wouldn't be pardoned like Clarke or the others. He was worthless, useless. They'd just throw him out.

Smith watched all of Bellamy's thoughts play out on his face. He looked scared, worried, but most of all, he looked tired. Like whatever was bothering him was becoming too much to bear. "You're thinking pretty hard," she sighed after a few minutes of silence. "And it looks like your thoughts are winning."

"Look, I did something bad to get down here," he muttered, not turning to look at her. "Now I have to make sure that the Ark doesn't come down."

Smith didn't know how to reply, so she just let the subject go.

* * *

Smith stood just outside of the clearing, just like Bellamy told her to do. She decided to listen to Bellamy's orders. He seemed a bit… off, and she thought it best to listen and not cause problems. After about ten minutes, she started to worry and was just about to go look for him when Clarke showed up.

"Smith," she huffed, her breath short. "Where's Bellamy?"  
Shrugging, Smith waved behind her in a vague manner. "Back there, I think. He told me to wait here and I didn't feel like fighting him on it."

Clarke didn't reply, she just hurried off in the directions the grounder had shown. Smith hesitated for a second before following behind her. In the clearing was a pod, just like Bellamy said there was. Clarke rushed to look inside, Smith following close behind her. Inside the wrecked exodus ship was an unconscious girl, blood seeping from a gash on her scalp. As they watched her, she opened her eyes. Smith stood back as the girl stood up, Clarke talking to her about being on the ground. She didn't really fit in with their wonder, so she stood back, her eyes wandering around the clearing.

Soon, Finn entered the clearing, and it became apparent that Finn and the girl, Raven, knew each other _quite_ well. Glancing at the blonde, she saw her smile become tight, her eyes full of confusion. Moving to her side, Smith put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Raven's eyes snapped to the grounder, instantly becoming alert.

"Who the hell are you?" Raven hissed, taking in the girl who was obviously not from the Ark.

"Raven, this is Smith," Finn sighed, "She's a grounder. She's been helping us survive."

"Pleasure to meet you," Smith nodded, her face blank as ever. When Raven gave no response, Smith shook her head. "You should have Clarke look at your head." When the girl gave her yet another blank look, she sighed. "It's bleeding."

"Just put pressure on it," Clarke muttered, still unsure of how she felt. This girl was obviously involved with the guy she just _slept_ with. She didn't know who to be mad at, herself, Finn, or Raven.

"Clarke? This is all because of your mom," Raven said suddenly perking up.

"My mom?"

"This was all her plan," Raven explained. "We were trying to come down here together. If we waited-oh, my God." She paused, remembering the horrible reason behind the hasty getaway. "We couldn't wait because the council was voting whether to kill 300 people to save air."

"When?" Clarke demanded.

"Today."

* * *

Smith wanted helped the Clarke and the rest of them search for the radio, but Bellamy had thrown the object in the river. She had stood at the bank, biting her bottom lip, before Bellamy told her that it was ok if she didn't want to go in. Clarke, quickly realizing what was wrong with her, confirmed what Bellamy said, letting Smith wait on the river bank.

As she waited, her gaze occasionally fell on a less than pleased Bellamy. She hadn't said a word during the fight between the group, deciding it wasn't her place to intervene. It was their problem, they should solve it. If she was being honest, she understood where Bellamy was coming from. She had done some terrible things also. Her conscious was hardly clean. The thing she didn't care for was him turning his back on his people. He was willing to let them die to save his own skin. Even though she was technically a traitor, she would never turn her back on her people. Even if they no longer considered her trustworthy, she would do everything in her power to protect them. The only good thing that came out of this was that Raven had revealed that Bellamy was not a murder, his victim had survived.

"I found it!" someone called, catching their attention. Smith made eye contact with Bellamy. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Clarke rushed at him, yelling at him for his actions.

As they all pondered what to do about the broken radio, Smith hung back, lost in thought. If their people came down, bringing their guns with them, her people would not stand a chance. The Sky People would protect themselves, killing the people who she grew up with. It would be like the first group all over again. The first group… Sometimes, she wondered if she should tell Clarke why her name had such an effect on her the first time she mentioned it. But every time she thought of telling her, she thought better of it, the words dying on her lips. Some things were better left unsaid until the right time came. Then she would tell her.

"We don't have to talk to the Ark," Raven said after a while, a small smirk playing on her face. "We just have to let them know we're down here, right?"

"Yeah, but how do we do that with no radio?" Clarke asked impatiently.

"Flares."

* * *

Unlike with the radio, Smith helped the 100 make the flares, carefully loading each on to the brace that had been thrown together. Everyone in the camp was talking excitedly, pitching in to help contact the Ark. Even Bellamy helped, staying close to Smith since she was one of the few who passed no judgement on him.

After their small talk this morning, even though nothing of importance was even said, Bellamy felt closer to her than ever before. She had expressed genuine concern for him. She tried to comfort him without pushing him to tell her why he needed to get to that pod. It seemed as if she understood his limits and refused to push him too far. It was a welcome change from the others at the camp.

As they finished up the flares and got ready to light them, Smith moved to stand beside Bellamy, her shoulder brushing against his arm. He looked at her, but she stared forward, her face the normal blank expression. For a moment, he wished that she would show some emotion, like she did back at the other dropship or when he accused her of murder. She seemed so much more alive when she let her emotions free, her eyes lighting up with a fire that he had never seen before.

As the flares took off, Bellamy placed his hand on her shoulder, more for his comfort than for hers. The Ark coming down meant that they Chancellor would come down. He doubted that the Chancellor would forgive him for shooting and almost killing him. Smith put her hand on top of his, lending him her strength.

DAY 13

Bellamy tore the camp apart, searching high and low for his sister. He had enlisted Smith to help him look, the grounder moving through the other half of camp. He didn't question her decision to stay the night, knowing that she wouldn't give him a straight answer if he into a tent, he saw Clarke awake on a cot. "You're up?" he whispered, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," she hissed, her eyes narrowing. "Knowing that hundreds of people might be dying on The Ark makes it pretty hard to sleep."

"Raven's flares with work."

"Her radio would have worked better," she said sitting up. Bellamy shifted uncomfortably, pulling his head out of the tent for a second to see where Smith was. Seeing her on the complete opposite side of the camp, he sighed and entered the tent.

Cutting to the chase, Bellamy asked the question he really cared about. "Have you seen Octavia?"

"No," Clarke said raising an eyebrow. Catching his worried expression, she softened, slightly touched by his worry for his sister. "It's Octavia. She's probably chasing butterflies."

"Clarke, Smith and I checked the camp. She's not here."

Sighing, Clarke agreed to help, making sure that he knew she wasn't doing this for him. After searching the entire camp again and coming up empty, Bellamy called together a small group, stating that they weren't coming back until they found his sister.

"I'm coming to," Smith said, seeing that Bellamy had not included her in his search party. "You'll need me if you want to survive out there."

"No way," Bellamy said, shocking everyone. Before now, Bellamy had done whatever it took to protect his sister, but now he was refusing the help of a grounder. "We'll be going into grounder territory. If your people see you with us, they'll kill you."

"So?" Smith huffed. What gave Bellamy the right to treat her as if she was a child? She could handle the consequences if her people found out that she had betrayed them. She would face them with bravery. What she couldn't stand for was leaving Octavia out there, possibly hurt. She didn't know the girl very well, but no one deserved to be left alone, afraid of dying with no one by your side. "Let them kill me if they want. I'm not going to cower away forever. Octavia needs my help, so I will help her."

"Smith," Bellamy said, his hands coming to a rest on her shoulders, his eyes boring into hers, "I'm not going to let you die for us, any of us. You've already risked enough."

"Let me decide when I've risked enough," she growled. She shoved his hands off of her shoulder, her eye flashing with that fire that he found so intriguing.

"Guys, come here," someone shouted. "Do you see that? Look up there!"

"It's so beautiful," another person, a girl this time, muttered, their eyes glued to the sky. Smith looked up, her eyes landing on a meteor shower. It was pretty, sure, but it wasn't something she hadn't seen before. Perhaps if it was your first time seeing it, it would be quite impressive.

"They didn't work," Raven said, her eyes glued to the shower, "They didn't see the flares."

"A meteor show tells you that?" Bellamy asked, raising an eyebrow. Smith glanced between the two, sensing trouble. Just as she was about to suggest they just leave, Clarke spoke up.

"It's not a meteor shower, it's a funeral," Clarke murmured. "Hundreds of bodies being returned to the Earth from the Ark. This is what it looks like from the other side. They didn't get our message."

"This is all your fault," Raven yelled, lunging at Bellamy. Two people restrained her at the same time Smith slid in front of Bellamy, her eyes narrowed into slits. Slowly, Bellamy placed a hand on the grounder's tense shoulder, telling her that it was ok.

"I helped you find the radio," he said calmly, keeping his hand on Smith's shoulder, now more to keep him calm.

"Yeah, after you jacked it from my pod and trashed it," Raven scoffed.

"Yeah, he knows," Clarke cut in, ever the mediator. "Now he has to live with it."

"All I know is that my sister is out there, and I'm gonna find her," Bellamy said, calling for his search group to leave.

They walked swiftly, knowing that Octavia could be anywhere in the dense woods around them. Smith had a feeling that she was in her people's territory as it was unlikely that no one found her yesterday. They would keep her alive because it is a crime to kill innocent blood, a rule that her clans holds almost sacred.

Someone called the group over, pointing to an object in the tree. "Rope," Bellamy barked, moving to tie it around a tree once it was in his hand. When Finn questioned him, he said, "We need it to get back up."

Bellamy and Jasper went down first, Smith following soon after. When she approached the two, she watched as Jasper flinched away from her, fear evident in his eyes. He hadn't really said much to her, obviously scared of grounders after his near death experience. Clarke suggested telling him that she had helped save his life, but there really was no use. Her people almost killed him. He had every right to be scared of her.

"They took her alive," Jasper said, breaking her out of her thoughts. "Like when they took me."

"They will not kill her unless they think her guilty of some crime," Smith said. "At least, that's how it normally is."

"What?" Finn asked, taken by surprise by her comment. Thinking back, none of them had really died at the hands of grounders. The only one who had been hurt was Jasper, but they had painstakingly kept him alive.

"We do not kill the innocent," Smith replied. "It is one of our greatest rules."

Somewhat reassured by her comment, they trudged forward, the torches illuminating the forest inadequately for the Sky People. Smith, she was used to moving around in the dim light, her eyes easily scanning through the darkness, not missing a single detail.

"Ah!" Smith's head snapped toward the sound, letting out a sigh of relief when no one was hurt. It was just the effigies.

"I don't speak grounder," Finn muttered, transfixed by the preserved corpses, "but I think that means keep out."

"They're old," Smith said, glancing at the boy. "From the war between the clans. They're Ice Nation scouts." Smith's voice had taken on a far off quality, her mind stuck in the events of the past. Her demeanor started to creep the others out. "You go past those, and you're officially guilty."

After she said that, several of the kids looked at each other, realizing what she meant. The grounders believed they had every right to kill them once they stepped past the effigies. Some decided to back out, Bellamy telling them it was ok to leave. As they left, their group slowly dwindled to just seven people.

Moving forward, Smith found herself next to Bellamy, her head turning to look around them. "You should head back too," Bellamy muttered, not glancing at the stubborn grounder. "We're bound to run into some grounders now."

"I'll be fine," Smith said.

"I got nothing," Finn said, standing up to glance around in the morning light. Smith was next to him, also stumped by the trail. "We lost the trail."

Smith watched as the two fought, an amused smile playing on her lips. Her smile dropped, however, when she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Whipping around, she grabbed her bow and notched an arrow all in the same movement. Training her weapon on the trees, she ignored the concerned group around her, only hearing Roma ask about John. She only let her weapon fall for a second as John's dead body fell from the trees.

"Run," Smith hissed, stowing her bow. Once the others were out of the clearing, she followed rushing through the trees with practiced ease. Each time they tried to go a direction, the blocked they way, forcing them to a locations they knew better. "They're forcing us to a certain location! Try to break out." But there was no way too, if they got to close to one of them, they would die.

Jasper was struggling to keep up, his chest still not fully healed. Smith spun on her heel, rushing to his side and taking most of his weight so that he could move. This time, Jasper didn't flinch. He accepted her help without a word, his breathing too ragged to say anything. Up ahead, she saw Roma run off into the woods, calling out for Diggs. Cursing under her breath, she hurried to catch up with the others, Jasper grasping her shoulder tightly in his hands.

They followed after Roma, but Smith knew it was too late. She knew this tactic well, she helped implement it more times than she can count. As people would separate from the group, they would kill them, making the threat smaller and smaller until no one was left.

"There she is!" Monroe yelled, seeing her friend leaning up against a tree. "Roma!"

"Monroe…" Smith said, her voice thick. "She's not-"  
She tried to stop the other girl, but she moved forward anyway, gasping once she saw the spear protruding from her friend's chest. Smith lowered her head, letting Jasper go and moving toward the dead girl just as Bellamy did. Muttering the phrase she had said too many times in the past two weeks, she watched as Bellamy shut her eyes, expressing his sorrow by telling them she had only come because of him.

"They can kill us whenever they want," Finn said, his eyes trained on the body, glancing at Smith as he finished his conclusion. Seeing her small nod, he shook his head. So much for being a rescue party.

"Then they should get it over with!" Jasper yelled, his eyes taking on an insane glint. Smith moved forward, as did Bellamy and Finn, to try and shut him up, but he was already continuing. "Come on! We know you're out there! You want to kill us?"

"Bellamy!" Monroe yelled, drawing their attention toward the grounders running toward them. Smith stepped forward, her chin held high. Bellamy grabbed her arm, but she shrugged it off, moving to meet the grounder who came the closest.

 _"So the rumors are true, Smith,"_ he said, taking in the scene before him. Bellamy watched the grounder, noting that he looked more feral than Smith ever did. His clothes were much more surreal looking, his face painted with strange markings _"You really are a traitor."_

 _"I just want to help them survive, Asher,"_ Smith growled, keeping an eye on all of the people surrounding the Sky People. Hearing her speak a name, it finally sunk in. She knew these people, really knew them.

 _"They've killed our people and you want to help them_ survive _?"_

 _"What?"_ Smith questioned. The group watched with rising fear as Smith seemed to lose her composure for a second, her eyes showing fear and confusion. They didn't want to interrupt, however, and bring the grounders' attention back to them. Bellamy wanted to help her, but he had no idea what she was saying. All he knew is that this could be the end for her.

 _"Last night they set fire to our village, killing many people,"_ Asher confided. It was possible that she didn't know about the Sky People's act of war, a point that he would argue in her trial.

 _"That wasn't-"_ Smith was cut off by the fog horn blaring, signalling acid fog. Distracted, Smith glanced around, not noticing Asher reaching for her until it was too late. Struggling in his arms, she fought with all her might. Then she felt pain explode in the back of her head.

Bellamy watched, helpless, as the lead grounder grabbed Smith and knock her out, carrying her away from the clearing before he could even react. "SMITH!" Bellamy screamed, moving to follow the grounder only to be stopped by Finn.

"The horn means acid fog, we have to take cover"

Bellamy watched him lay the tent out on the ground, his blood boiling. "We can't just let them take her! They'll kill her."

Finn paused before getting under the tent, the rest of the group following, including an less than willing Bellamy. "There's nothing we can do."

* * *

 **I know Twilight's Last Gleaming was more of a summary in this, but that episode doesn't really have that much weight in this story and I didn't want to just add it in for no reason. Better to just summarize than bore everyone with useless dialogue.**

 **So sorry for the delay. Chapters might be a little less regular from now on, but I will do my best to get them out. Thank you for all the kind reviews for this story, and thank you for favoriting and reading it.**

 **See you in the next chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Listen to: "Dear Agony" by Breaking Benjamin**

* * *

DAY 13

Smith was alive. Her arm hurt like hell, but she was still kicking, and that had to count for something. Frankly, she couldn't believe that she lived through her trial, and she wasn't keen on sticking around for minds to change. She left the village as soon as they threw her out of the central building. Stripped of her weapons, her arm broken and bleeding, she hurried through the trees. She had thought to grab a warrior's coat- nearly screaming when she moved her arm to shove it through the sleeve- but it did little good to keep the chill and rain of the storm out of her bones.

She just had to get to the Sky People's camp, there she would be safe from the hurricane. Clarke would look at her arm, fix it up. Oh god, it burned. She could feel the blood trickling down her arm, the warm stickiness contrasting sharply with the chill of the air. The cuts were deep, and she was losing blood faster than she anticipated. She had to get to their camp.

For the first time in years, Smith felt pure, unadulterated fear creep into her heart. Would she make it? She was starting to doubt that she would. This could very well be the end of Smith of the Trikru.

No. Smith couldn't think like that. To think like that, it was surrendering, and Smith was strong. She didn't surrender, she fought until the bitter end. A broken arm won't stop her from surviving. She will persevere, she will _live_.

* * *

Clarke moved about the dropship, watching Finn's prone form on the table, her heart dropping. She wasn't a doctor, so how could she save his life? She tried to block out the noises coming from the third floor of the exodus ship. When Bellamy had returned with the grounder, she contemplated telling him that this was a bad idea, forcing him to release his hostage. Then Finn got worse and she realized that she couldn't take the time reprimand him. Monroe had quickly told her the situation, how Bellamy been deeply disturbed when Smith had been taken by some grounders- most likely to her death. Then seeing Octavia chained up by a grounder had pushed him over the edge.

Raven stood beside her, worrying her lip, her eyes never leaving Finn. Abby's voice spoke calmly through the speakers, trying to guide Clarke through the delicate procedure. The storm outside was really starting to kick up, the metal structure groaning from the strain. Just after the wind died down slightly, a loud banging started up from the door. Clarke and Raven glanced at each other, their eyes locking before turning to the large door.

"Is someone still out there?" Raven whispered, her eyes flitting between Clarke and the exit.

"I… I don't know," Clarke muttered. She moved forward, hesitating slightly before opening the door. With a loud grinding noise, the metal panel moved, revealing the outside world to Clarke's frightened gaze. "Oh my god."  
Smith stood on their doorstep, her face bloody, cuts littering her cheeks and forehead. Clarke rushed forward, grabbing the arm of the familiar face. Guiding her into the dropship, the doctor shut the door behind them.

"Are you ok?" Clarke asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over the three girls. The grounder looked terrible, her eyes unfocused and bleary.

"I'm fine," Smith breathed.

"Smith, Bellamy has a grounder up there," Clarke said, causing the older girl's head to whip around. Nodding, she went to the ladder without a word. Clarke watched as she cradled her arm to her chest, letting nothing come near the appendage. It was hurt, but she needed her to go upstairs and try to talk some sense into Bellamy, and upstairs meant climbing a ladder.

Smith stared at it for a few seconds before gritting her teeth and starting her ascent. Her right arm burned, tears filling her eyes every time she moved it. God, it hurt, but she pushed it away, moving slowly. She passed through the second floor, ignoring the gasps that rose up from the kids. Her head was spinning by the time she reached the top floor, banging on the door with her bad arm, her grip starting to give out.

Miller opened the hatch, his eyes widening when he saw who was on the other side. Immediately, he rushed to help the obviously injured girl, careful to avoid the arm she held to her chest. Calling out to the others, Miller moved aside as more of the guys came to help her. When Smith finally stood up, Bellamy rushed to her side, hugging her tightly. Hissing softly, Smith shifted in his arms, removing the pressure from her arm.

"I thought you were dead," he whispered, pulling back slightly to take in her busted face. "I thought that they were going to kill you."

"Trust me, I'm just as surprised as you are," she sighed, stepping back from the leader. Her head hurt, and she felt nauseous, the world coming in and out of focus. Trying to clear her head, she glanced over his shoulder before feeling her mask slip. Their hostage…

Darting to the chained man, she took in his face, letting a quiet, "No," out. Her head suddenly clearer, she placed her left hand on his face, tilting it from side to side, taking in his injuries.

"You know him?" Bellamy asked. Smith knowing the grounder would definitely throw a wrench into his plan to get information out of the silent man.

Smith nodded, "I've known him since I was a child. He's a good friend of mine."

Bellamy's heart stopped. Out of all the grounders for him to kidnap, it had to be someone that Smith knew and trusted. Plenty of other grounders clearly hated her if her face meant anything, yet he got the one that she liked.

 _"Are you ok?"_ Smith asked Lincoln, not sure how to feel. He was in bad shape, his eye swollen shut and cuts spread throughout his face and arms. Bellamy had done this, Bellamy had hurt her friend.

Lincoln ignored her, his eyes glued to a spot just above her head. She pretended it didn't hurt, that she didn't care that one of her closest friend's besides Nyko wouldn't even look at her, let alone talk. _"Please, I know your pride says that you stay quiet, but they don't know the ways of our people. They will hurt you if you stay quiet."_

"Does he speak English?" Miller asked from beside the hatch. "I mean, you do."  
"Only warriors speak English," Smith said, never taking her eyes off Lincoln.

"And you're telling me he's not a warrior?" Bellamy raised an eyebrow, taking in the physique of the grounder. If he wasn't a warrior, then Smith wasn't, and she was one of the strongest people he's ever met.

"I'm not telling you anything," she replied. She turned away from her friend, her face carefully covering up the hurt she was feeling. Bellamy took in her face, catching the dazed quality to her eyes. She didn't look like she was doing too hot. "All I did was explain why I know English."

"Does he speak it?" Bellamy asked. Smith didn't respond. All she did was glance back at her friend with the same worried eyes, her cut up cheeks pulling at odd angles, giving her a distorted look. "Answer me, Smith."

"No," she finally said, her words slightly sluggish and slurred. "He doesn't. He's a hunter, not a warrior." If Bellamy caught on to her lie, he didn't show it, but she could feel Lincoln's questioning eyes on her. He didn't want to reveal that he understood what she said, but the curiosity got the better of him. Why had she helped him? After her disgrace a year ago, Lincoln had kept his distance, only visiting her when no one was around to see it. Now here she was, helping him despite all of that. As he looked at her, he noticed that her coat's sleeve was dark, obviously soaked through with something. The other's hadn't noticed, obviously thinking that it was just a part of the crappy fabric it was made out of. But he knew better. Her arm was bleeding, quite heavily if the size of the stain meant anything.

"Damnit," Bellamy cursed, stalking away from the two grounders. Smith watched him as he ran his hands through his hair, frustration clear on his face. "Ask him why he had my sister."

She nodded, turning back to Lincoln knowing it was useless. He wouldn't answer her, she knew that. Warriors like themselves were trained to move through intense pain while never saying anything. Her resolve was probably the reason she was still standing despite the blood loss and pain shooting through her arm. Lincoln, being trained in the same way she had been, shared similar resolve and mental strength. She doubted there was anything she or Sky People could do to make him talk.

 _"I know you won't answer me, but I would like to ask you a question,"_ Smith said. She didn't look at him, her gaze glued to the floor. _"Why did you take Octavia?"_ Just like she expected, Lincoln ignored her, opting to look at Bellamy just behind her. _"Please, I don't want them to hurt you."_

Bellamy watched, his eyes stuck on Smith's form. She may have been beaten up, but she was alive. After she had been carried off by the grounders, Bellamy had been sure that she would not make it back. After all, she was the one who said that they would kill her if they find out she had been helping them. Yet, she was, alive and well. Well, alive at the very least. What was the catch? There had to be some reason that she was set free, that her people chose to let her return to their camp.

A banging at the hatch interrupted his thoughts. Everyone, including a sluggish Smith, turned to the hatch, listening as Clarke yelled and banged on the door. Miller let her up, trying to tell her to leave before she pushed past him, a knife held tightly in her hand. Seeing the weapon, Smith stumbled in front of her friend, shielding him from the angry blonde.

"What's on this?" she demanded, shoving the blade toward his face. Her eyes fell on their grounder friend for a second before returning to the hostage.

"What are you talking about?" Bellamy sighed, glancing between the grounder and Clarke. Smith stood between them, swaying slightly from exertion. She didn't know how much energy she had left.

"He poisoned the blade!" Clarke growled. "All this time you knew Finn was going to die no matter what we did!" she yelled at him. He refused to look at her which only caused her anger to rise faster. "What is it? Is there an antidote?"

"Clarke, he doesn't understand you," Octavia whimpered, trying to diffuse the suffocation tension in the stuffy pod.

"She's right," Smith interjected, her voice quiet. "He doesn't speak English."

Clarke ignored them, turning to Bellamy with eyes burning. Getting the message, he sprang into action, moving to the vials he had discovered earlier. Showing them to the doctor, letting her grab it from his hands.

"It's gotta be here," she muttered. "You'd have to be stupid to have a poison around for this long without an antidote." She stalked over to Smith and the other grounder, shoving the tin toward them. "Which one is it, Smith?"

"I.." she trailed off, her eyes losing focus slightly, "I don't… know. I never… used poison."

Turning from her to Lincoln, Clarke's voice lost what little softness was in it. "Which one?"

"Answer the question!" Bellamy bellowed. From behind him, he heard Octavia begging the grounder. Why she cared so much, he had no idea. The man had her chained up underground. She shouldn't care about what happens to him. If anything, Smith should be reacting like that, him being her friend since childhood. But she stood there silently, her right arm cradled to her chest.

"Which one?" Clarke begged, tears brimming in her eyes. "Our friend is dying down there and you can stop that."

"I'll get him to talk," Bellamy growled stalking forward. That seemed to set Smith off because not a second later, she was blocking Bellamy from reaching the other grounder, her eyes alight with a familiar fire.

"No," her voice was quiet with barely any strength behind it, but firm. "I won't let you hurt him."

For a moment, they just stared at each other, neither one moving. The only sound was Clarke's nervous shifting and Raven's yelling from below. Finally, Clarke broke the silence, saying just two words that caused Smith's stomach to drop.

"Do it."

Octavia was yelling, but Smith focused only on Bellamy, watching as he cut loose a piece of a seatbelt. For a moment, there were two of him. Blinking rapidly, she called him back into focus, readying herself for a confrontation. As soon as he turned back around, she lunged at him, but he easily caught her due to her weakened state. He carefully passed her to Miller, catching the pain and disbelieve in her eyes.

"You're going to show us the antidote," Bellamy started lowly, his steps toward Lincoln slow and deliberate. "Or you're going to wish that you had."

Smith weakly struggled against Miller's arms, her head spinning more than ever. Would Bellamy really do this? She felt so useless, unable to stop them from hurting her friend. Smith had never been seen as weak, working from the time she was little to be strong. But now when it really matters, she's too hurt to fight back, to stop them from torturing her friend. She was useless, a disgrace.

For a moment, Smith's head went lax against Miller's chest, the rest of her body following suit. Her reprieve was short lived, however. Her eyes shot open when she heard several gasps and someone grunting. Following the eyes of everyone in the room, she froze when she saw a piece of metal shoved through Lincoln's hand.

"Oh my god," she whispered, renewing her fight against Miller's arms. "Stop it, Bellamy, stop it!"

"What's taking so long?" Raven demanded bursting into the room. "He stopped breathing." Seeing Clarke's look, she quickly added, "He started again, but next time, he might not."

"He won't tell us anything," Clarke sighed, worrying her lip. Her eyes darted around the room, landing on a barely conscious Smith. She had been their best shot, but she didn't know which one was the antidote and her friend wouldn't answer her. Finn couldn't die.

"Wanna bet?" Raven hissed walking over to some wires at the side. "Let's show him something new," she grinned, sparking the wires experimentally, causing the grounder to flinch.

"Stop, you kill him!" Smith labored. Miller couldn't hold her up, Smith slowly sliding toward the floor. Bellamy grabbed her, pulling her out of Miller's arms and into his own. He could hold her up much better than the other boy could. He wrapped his arms her waist tightly, turning her so she didn't have to watch. He stroked her hair when Raven stuck the wires into the grounder's chest. He felt her stiffen when he let out a yell, trying to pull away from the electricity.

"Which one is it?" Smith could hear Clarke beg, her voice desperate. She understood why they did this. Hell if the roles had been reversed, she probably would have done the same thing. But as it was, Lincoln was her friend, and she could not get behind them torturing him.

"He's all I have!" Raven screeched, tears falling from her eyes.

"No more," Octavia said, the knife held tightly in her hand. Smith removed her face from Bellamy's chest, taking in Octavia's stance with a sinking feeling. As if in slow motion, Octavia dragged the poisoned blade down her arm despite Bellamy's protest. She stared at her older brother as he held Smith tightly, her eyes darkening. He was such a hypocrite. He was willing to hurt the grounder who saved her life, but held another grounder as if they were together. Smith may have helped them, but she was still a grounder, just like the one being tortured.

"He won't let me die," she said firmly. She snatched the vials from Clarke, holding them out in front of the prisoner.

Smith let out a tired breath, realizing that it was over. They got the answer they want. She leaned into Bellamy, her eyes heavy, her arm and head aching. Her arm was still bleeding, she could feel it soaking into the already soaked sleeve. Closing her eyes, she let herself sleep, knowing that the pain would be gone as long as she did.

* * *

Smith woke to an excruciating pain. Her popped open, a scream ripping from her throat as she struggled against the arms holding her down. "Keep her still," a voice barked. Her eyes darted around the room, her eyes landing on a familiar head of blonde hair. Clarke. "I need to set her arm before I can bandage the cuts."

"Smith," someone cooed near her ear. Craning her neck, she saw Octavia smoothing her hair. Beside the girl, Bellamy and Raven held her right arm and her torso, restraining her. "It's ok, you're ok."

"I'm fine," she groaned, leaning back. "I'll hold still." Clarke stared at the grounder for a moment before grabbing her arm and pushing on the bone. Smith gritted her teeth, holding back the scream building. She held her body still, her eyes shut tight.

"There, all done," Clarke smiled as she slowly bandaged the cuts in her arm. Maybe cuts wasn't the right word. Engravings was more correct. She couldn't read what it said, but it obviously was a word. They had branded her before setting her free. Moving her arm into a sing Clarke had tied around her neck earlier, the doctor stepped back to examine her handiwork.

"What the hell happened?" Bellamy asked. He moved around the table to look at Smith, his face pale from the events from earlier. She looked dead as he carried her down the ladder to Clarke's work area. She was barely breathing, her skin pale.

"I was put on trial for treason," she croaked, her voice barely above a whisper. She watched Raven and Octavia excuse themselves, climbing up the ladder a second later. A disembodied voice drifted through the dropship, but Smith tuned it out.

"I thought you said that they'd kill you," Bellamy asked.

"They let me live for one reason. They wanted me to deliver a message, " Smith sat up despite the protests of everyone in the room. She pushed the pain away, looking Clarke and Bellamy dead in the eyes. "My… the grounders will come, and they will kill all of you."

"You were exiled," Clarke breathed, putting it all together. They had kicked her out believing that she would die with the rest of them when they came. That's why they let her go. "But what did they carve into your arm?"

Smith looked at her arm with a blank expression, remembering the pain of them taking the knife to her arm. She remembered each stroke, each swipe of the blade. "Traitor. It's a reminded that I no longer belong to my clan."

"Well, you belong here," Clarke forced a smile, her hand landing on Smith's shoulder. Bellamy nodded, seconding the notion.

* * *

 **Chapter six is done. Let me know what you think! I'm always excited to hear feedback. As always, thank you to those who reviewed, viewed, and favorited.**

 **See you next chapter**


	7. Chapter 7

Smith didn't talk much in the hours that followed the storm. Her arm hurt and she was confused. Lincoln was her friend and the Sky People tortured him for information, even when she begged them to stop and begged him to tell them what they wanted. But she couldn't really be mad at the teenagers for doing what they did. She would have done the same thing, has done the same thing. Besides, right now, she needed some friends if she wanted to survive, and the Sky People were her only option.

"Smith?" Glancing to the side, she caught Clarke's cautious look as she slowly stepped into the tent that had been relegated to the injured teen. Raising her chin to the small chair that sat next to her cot- one that Bellamy had sat in and asked for forgiveness earlier. Clarke sat with a small smile, but it wavered when Smith didn't react. "Look… about what happened."

"Don't," Smith sighed. She was being unfair, she knew it. "I don't want to talk about it. I'm perfectly fine letting this slip into the past."

"Why?" Clarke demanded. Her eyes flashing with an emotion Smith couldn't quite place. It didn't take much to realize that Clarke was not really asking Smith, but someone she didn't know. "Why aren't you mad? We tortured your friend! We hurt him."

"Clarke, if you want me to be mad, to yell at you and say that I hate you, it's not going to happen. I'm not that type of person," Smith said calmly, keeping her eyes locked on Clarke's. "I'm not mad; I can't be. Not really. If anything, I'm disappointed. I thought that you were better than that, I thought that you were better than those who came before. I thought you were better than me."

"Smith-"

"No, Clarke, you need to listen. You want forgiveness; that's why you're here. I can't give you that. You need to find your own, however it comes to you. But there is forgiveness, for you and Bellamy. It may be hard to find, and you you may not realize it right away, but it will come."

There was silence for a while, Clarke looking at her hands, Smith staring at the blonde with as much compassion as she could manage.

"I-I…" the younger girl started, but stopped when a choked sob clawing itself free of her throat. Smith put her hand on her arm, unsure how to comfort the crying girl. She had never been the best with emotions, always keeping them bottled up, safe from view. "I let this happen! I was so desperate to save Finn that I let someone get hurt! I'm no better than _her._ "

"We all have lapses in judgement," Smith sighed. She shifted slightly so she was facing Clarke. She didn't ask who the girl was talking about. She could tell that Clarke didn't want to talk about it by the look on her face. "Besides, Finn is one of you, my friend isn't. Your people come first, no matter what."

"Then why did you help us?" She muttered, trying to stop her tears. For a moment, she was struck by how Smith took everything in stride. She looked at everything critically, refusing to let emotions cloud her judgement. And when they did, she righted herself quickly. That approach, it could be incredibly dangerous, for others and herself, but so far, the stoic girl hadn't failed.

"I have my reasons," the other girl said. "Besides, the Trikru haven't trusted me in a year and a half. They would have found a reason to kick me out anyway."

"So you're really not a grounder anymore?" Clarke frowned, staring at the bandages wrapped around Smith's arm that was currently hanging in a sling. The images of the bloody wound, and subsequent cleaning of said wound, would forever be burned into the young doctor's mind.

"No," Smith said, her face betraying nothing. "This mark will ensure that all the clans in the Coalition know that I am a traitor. I will be killed on sight."

"I'm sorry," Clarke said.

"It's not your fault. I knew the consequences for getting involved."

With that, the conversation faded into less serious topics- like life around the camp and how long the ex-grounder would have to stay on bed rest. Before long, Clarke stood and excused herself, saying that she had to make sure they were getting enough supplies for the coming winter. Smith settled in, leaning back against the cot she had claimed.

"Hey," a deep voice called after quite a bit of time had passed. Cracking one eye open, she waved Bellamy in with a flippant hand wave. "How are you feeling?"

"Not bad," she said. When she caught his skeptical look, she amended, "I've been worse."

"That's hard to believe," he chuckled nervously, perching himself on the chair beside her. Watching him curiously, she noticed how he fidgeted and place his hand in his pocket several times. He was hiding something.

"Before you came, before the others came, there was a war," Smith said. She had mentioned it before, but had never really gone into detail about what the even entailed. "I was still being mentored back then, but I fought anyway. During one of the battles, I was stabbed in the side by a sword. That was much worse. Though, a broken arm is quite debilitating."

"And I thought guard training was hard," Bellamy smiled. After the incident, he had been joking with her quite a bit (after asking for forgiveness- though she just gave him a similar answer to the one she gave Clarke) as if trying to make up for what he did. Some of the events were fuzzy, but she remembered him shielding her eyes, keeping her from seeing what was being done.

"My experiences do not discredit yours," she gave a small smile back, shifting to face him better. Catching his eye, she frowned when he bit his lip and turned away. "What's wrong?"

"Clarke and I are going to a supply depot nearby."

Smith sat up instantly, swinging her legs over the side of her cot. Bellamy caught them, muttering a quiet "no you don't" before putting them back on the bed. Smith glared at him, using her good arm to try to push his arm off of her legs. Gently catching her wrist, he finally pulled what he was hiding out of his pocket.

"Bellamy," she growled, her dark eyes fixed on the length of rope. She tried to tug her wrist from his grip, but he just tightened his hold. His eyes were sorrowful, but he said nothing as he tied her working arm to the cot. "Untie me."

"Sorry, Smith," he murmured. "Clarke doesn't want you walking around when she can't monitor you. Besides, we know you'll just follow us." She pulled her bound wrist against the rope, ignoring how it cut into her skin. "I'll untie you once I get back."

"Bellamy Blake, don't you leave me here," she hissed at him as he started to leave. At the entrance to her tent, he paused, looking back at her with a small frown. Then he was gone.

* * *

She banged her head against the railing her arm was tied to, trying to think of how to get out of this. It bruised her pride to have been left here, useless. Having only one usable arm didn't make her useless. She could still hold her own (probably).

"Smith!" someone shouted, breaking her from her thoughts. Lowering her head from the top of the tent, she met Octavia's eyes. The girl was out of breath, an excited grin on her face, yet slight hesitation in her eyes. "He spoke to me! Lincoln, he spoke to me." When smile said nothing, her smile faded slightly.

"I'm surprised," the ex-grounder finally said. "He was always so stubborn."

"I think he's scared. That's why. He thinks he's going to die."

"Because if he was a prisoner to anyone else, he would be dead," Smith sighed wearily. Shifting slightly, she hoped to bring attention to her bound wrist, her already wounded pride keeping her from outright stating that she needed help. "He believes that you will kill him soon since he could not give you the information that you want."

"I can't leave him there, chained up."

"Yeah, it'd be a real shame," Smith muttered dryly.

"Can you help me set him free?" Octavia asked, missing the hints that Smith was leaving. How dense could she be? "It shouldn't be that hard."

"Fine, but I need your help first."

"With what?" Smith nodded down at her arm. "Oh… sure." Octavia walked to her and untied her wrists, freeing the older girl from her confines.

Smith walked out of the tent, stretching her tired muscles. Her arm ached, but she pushed that to the back of her mind as she followed Octavia to the dropship. The girl had no plan, but Smith was confident they could figure out a solution to their conundrum. Freeing Lincoln would be her way of apologizing for not helping him.

As she walked, a group of kids standing around a container caught her eye. Moving closer, she raised an eyebrow at the contents. "Octavia, what are these for?" The other girl came over, examining the nuts that Smith was scrutinizing.

"We're storing them for winter," she answered. She tried not to show her impatience as Smith cautiously picked up one of the nuts and took a closer look. Her brother could come back at any moment; she didn't have time to wait around staring at nuts.

"They're hallucinogenic when they go bad."

 _"What?"_

* * *

Smith grinned as she watched the entire camp stumble around in a drunken stupor. After her revelation, Octavia was able to figure out a plausible way to free the grounder. Give everyone the hallucinogenic nuts. It worked perfectly too. No one noticed the two sneaking into the dropship, and no one noticed the three leaving. Outside the camp they paused. Lincoln, her old friend that drifted away from her, approached Smith now with a blank face.

 _"Thank you, my friend,"_ he said, his deep voice scratching from disuse. Octavia stood a little ways away, trying to stay out of the conversation.

 _"It's the least I can do,"_ she answered, nodding her head. _"I'm sorry for what they did, for not stopping them."_

 _"I understand,"_ he said after a moment. _"You may have been born a grounder, but you never really belonged. The Sky People are a better fit for you."_

 _"Are they? Sometimes I think that it'll just be a repeat of what happened a year and a half ago."_ She paused, trying to find the right word to use. Her life had been quite the wild ride lately, and it seemed to finally be catching up to her. Maybe she should have listened to Clarke and stayed in bed.

 _"Only if you let it."_ With that he nodded to her in farewell, waiting til he got one in return before spinning around to face Octavia. Giving them privacy, Smith walked back to the camp, the storm in her mind dying down to a drizzle as she plopped down on her cot, minding her broken arm.

Drifting off to sleep, she lost herself to the thought of Bellamy's reaction when he found her untied and the grounder gone. Maybe this hadn't been thought out that well. Oh well, she thought as sleep took her. She'd deal with the consequences as they came.

* * *

 **I am so sorry for the wait and short chapter! Life has been so hectic lately since I've started college searches. I figured a short chapter was better than no chapter.**

 **Now there's something that I'd like to address. I would like to, if you're reading this hopingforabadass, accept your apology. As a writer, I find it important to distance myself from my work so I can look at criticism without my emotions clouding my judgement, so I was not particularly put off by your original comment. I just ask that if you do have anything negative to say, that you please do it in a constructive way that properly gives me the tools to improve upon what you find lacking.**

 **I also hope that I better explained why Smith acted the way that she did in this chapter. Smith is a very passive character, and I have written her as such. If you have anything you would like to say on this matter, please do so in a respectful manner, and I will address it next chapter.**

 **Thank you**

 **MenShouldBeLikeKleenex**


	8. Chapter 8

The Sky People were celebrating some holiday that Smith could never understand. Bellamy had tried to explain it to her, but he had to go through a condensed version of hundred years of information, and thinking about it made her head hurt. So Smith stood to the side, watching the Sky Peo… her people party and drink. Even Clarke had joined in the celebrations and was currently playing a game.

Bellamy walked over, looking quite sober, and stopped next to Smith. He held out a tin, sloshing the strong smelling intoxicant over the side. "Here," he said. She was surprised that he didn't slur at all.

"No, thank you." She smiled at him when he looked disappointed. In her quiet voice, which he found very soothing, she explained, "Warriors are forbidden from doing anything that inhibits their reactions."

"So you've never had a drink before?" Bellamy grinned. He threw his arm unceremoniously over her shoulders, pulling her into his side, careful not to jostle her hurt arm. Smith didn't try to move away. "Why not have just a sip then?"

Smith was about to refuse again when she caught Bellamy's eye. There wasn't the unfocused glint that plagued almost the entire camp. "You haven't had any either?"

"Nope," he shook his head. "I got guard duty. That's why you should have your drink. You're very first drink I might add."

Smith thought about it for a second. There was a chance that the Grounders could attack. She was confident that Lincoln would not give them away, but there would be talk of his absence. It would not be hard to put two and two together. But on the other hand, Bellamy and Clarke had found a large supply of guns while they were out on their trip. His good mood over finding the guns out weighed finding Smith out of bed- though not quite finding Lincoln gone.

"Fine." Smith slowly took the tin from his hand, trying in vain not to spill it all over herself. She slowly took a sip, scrunching her face up as soon as the foul liquid hit her tongue. She forced it down, coughing as it left a trail of fire. She curled in on herself as she coughed. People drank this stuff for fun? Bellamy chuckled and patted her back.

"It's not the finest alcohol you'll come across." He grinned as she straightened slightly to glare at him. The cup had fallen from her hands at some point in her coughing fit, laying by their feet. "And it's probably not what you want for your first drink."

Smith hit him on the chest in mock anger, trying in vain to wriggled out from underneath his heavy arm. "Jerk." Bellamy only laughed more, pulling her even closer. Which meant he was practically smothering her in his chest. She groaned slightly when he pressed up against her arm, causing Bellamy to jolt back.

"Sorry," he muttered, turning to the side. He didn't fully let go of her, instead lower his arms to her waist, safely away from her arm.

"It's fine." Smith looked up at him with a smile. She brushed her short hair behind her ear, taking in his troubled expression. "Are you ok?"  
His eyes snapped to hers before darting down to something lower. He bit his lip and drew a shaky breath. "Smith…" He couldn't find the words. Were there any words? He didn't really think so. He had only met the girl less than a month ago, yet here he was, embracing her. And wanting to kiss her. No… that couldn't be. Smith was a friend, an ally. She was someone who he could trust. But he had still just met her, even though it had felt like years since she had first dropped from the trees and into his life. When he thought she was dead, when the Grounders took her, he was devastated, more so than he would ever admit to those around him. She had survived though, and where did that leave them? Did he care about her in that way? Or was he just attaching himself to the first person that relieved him from his guilt over Jaha? Did she care about him?

"Bellamy?" she whispered, concerned. She was staring at him, just inches away. She was in his arms. Screw it, he thought.

And he kissed her. He stooped his head, pushing his chapped lips against hers with a desperate force. Smith stiffened in surprise, but soon softened when he dragged her hips to his, mindful of her arm. She brought her left arm around his neck, leaning up on her tiptoes to better reach his lips.

Smith felt Bellamy's tongue sweep across her lip, and immediately opened up to let it in. Bellamy grinned into the kiss as he kissed the obviously inexperienced girl, guiding her through the process by prodding her gently.

After a minute, Smith pulled back for air, her chest heaving. She had never kissed someone before, let alone made out with someone in the woods. This was all new to her, but Bellamy obviously knew what he was doing.

While she caught her breath and contemplated his experience, Bellamy descended on her neck, kissing and nipping until he reached her jugular. He sucked and bit the spot, determined to leave a mark on the once flawless skin of her neck. Grabbing her hips, he hoisted her up, forcing the girl to wrap her legs around his waist. He pushed her up against a tree, making it easier to reach her.

As he started to once again bite at the spot on her neck, Smith let out a quiet moan. Bellamy froze for a second, pulling back to look the ex-Grounder in the eyes. She gazed back at him with her normal blank eyes, except now her cheeks were painted a dazzling red.

Smith gently tangled her fingers in his soft hair, pulling him up so that she could feel his lips on hers once more. Their lips collided, all teeth and tongue. Bellamy pushed her harder into the tree, wanting nothing more than to meld into the girl before him.

"Bellamy? Smith? Where are you guys?" Bellamy pulled away quickly, setting Smith down on the ground, steadying her as she stumbled. It was Clarke.

"We're over here," Bellamy called, his voice rough. Smith fixed her hair, stifling any expression that may have been building.

Clarke rushed into the clearing, pausing for a moment when she saw their disheveled state. "I need to talk to you two," she said after a minute of awkward staring. "It's serious."

"You always are, Princess, so talk." Bellamy ran a hand through his hair, ignoring how his arm brushed against Smith as he did so.

"Finn set up a meeting with the Grounders," Clarke said. Bellamy could feel the ex-Grounder stiffen from beside him. He put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. He could still feel her lips on his, and damn was he pissed that Clarke interrupted. "I'm leaving to go talk to them."

"Because you think that breaking and carving traitor into Smith's arm and impaling people on spears is code for 'let's be friends?'" Bellamy growled. He put an arm protectively around Smith. "Have you lost your damn mind?"

"I think it's worth a shot," Clarke sighed. She looked scared and tired, her eyes searching the two for some sort of purchase. "We do have to live with these people."

"They'll probably gut you and string you up as a warning." Bellamy stared right into the blonde's eyes, trying to talk her down.

"That's why I'm here. For backup." Clarke bit her lip, having now entered a game of wits with the stubborn man. She would have to tread carefully if she wanted him to agree.

"Does Finn know about this?" he asked after a second.

"No," Clarke muttered.

"It's suicide," Bellamy finally declared. "We may have weapons, but we're not going into their territory unprepared. It's not like Smith can take us; she's still injured and has a kill order on her head. We'll be going in blind, the advantage to them."

Smith," Clarke pleaded, turning her gaze directly on the older girl who had been silent throughout the exchange. "What do you think?"

Smith glanced up at Bellamy before setting her jaw and shrugging his arm off of her. "I agree with Clarke. If you don't find peace with the Grounders, many people will die. I once told you that I respect life, so now I advise you in the direction that I think will help the most people."

"Smith-"

"No, Bellamy." Smith shook her head. "I have seen how far the Grounders will go in war. Hell, I even participate in the wars. I have ten kill scars, ten lost lives on my shoulders. I'd rather not have to add to that number." She could see that he was still not convinced. "And I will stay behind. Seeing me will only anger whoever you meet."

Bellamy and Smith shared a look, and he could see that familiar fire burning in her brown eyes. There was no way she was backing down now. "Fine," he finally conceded.

"Good," Clarke nodded at the other girl, thanking her. Smith nodded in return. "And Bellamy, bring guns."

Bellamy nodded, watching as Clarke and Smith left the clearing, his focus stuck on the girl he had just spent sometime getting to know intimately. Going into Grounder territory was risky, and he didn't know what could happen. At the very least he wouldn't have to worry about Smith being taken again, but then again, having her there would probably have made the whole thing easier. She knew the land, she would know their tactics. Sighing, he followed the two girls, and all he could do was hope he had made the right choice.

* * *

Smith sat on the outskirts of the group, waiting for Clarke, Bellamy, and the others to return from the meeting. Did her people really want peace? It was possible. The Coalition was shaky at best, and a war could very well break the delicate balance that the Commander preserved. She knew that her people would rather quietly kill the Sky People than declare war. But the Sky People had already declared war in their eyes.

But what if it was all a ploy? Had she just sent her newfound comrades to their deaths? No. Even if it was a lie, Bellamy and the others had guns. To the Grounders, guns were something of a taboo, and hopefully that would buy them time. She had to have confidence that Bellamy and the others would make it out.

Bellamy…

That moment they shared, Smith had no idea what it meant. Bellamy had been a friend, one of the first ones she's had since her mentor and the first group of Sky People died. But what they did, what could have happened if Clarke hadn't shown up, was that something that she wanted? She cared about Bellamy, no doubt about it. Sure, their relationship had started off awkward and rocky, but the night that Charlotte died, the night that he apologized to her despite her insistence that she didn't care, she had started to see a caring side to him.

Ever since then, he had been nothing but kind to her and her strange methods and sometimes icy silence. He was worried when she was taken by the Grounders, and he shielded her eyes when they did what they had to do to Lincoln.

But did she care about him enough to risk starting something? She wasn't delusional; she knew her chances of living much longer were very slim. There was too much working against her, and now she couldn't defend herself.

"You got anything to say?" Smith heard a breathy voice yell, not too far from where she was. Glancing at the partying teens, she slipped out into the night, following the sound of arguing to find the group of kids- and Bellamy- huddled around, catching their breath and fighting. It wasn't long before Octavia brushed past her, nodding at the newcomer before disappearing into the camp. The others soon followed, leaving just Bellamy standing in the clearing, staring at the ground.

She bit her lip as she walked over to the lone man. "I take it it didn't go well."

Bellamy let out a mirthless laugh, glancing at Smith with a tired expression. "You could say that." He ran his hand down his face, straightening up to his full height. "Jasper opened fire on the Grounders. He started a war… Smith, can we do this? Can we fight them?"

"I don't know." Smith placed a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to look into her eyes. "But I'm willing to die to make things right. I let things with the original Sky People be taken too far, and I'll be damned if I let the same thing happen to you." And she meant it. She couldn't save them before; they had made their decision and sealed their own fate. But she would not let the same thing happen to these kids. She would make up for her past failures.

"You shouldn't have to sacrifice yourself for us," Bellamy whispered, placing his hand atop the one that rested on his shoulder. The other came to rest on her cheek, his thumb stroking her face with a tenderness she had never seen from anyone before.

"I dug my grave a long time ago," she muttered, staring into his eyes. She could see every emotion flicker in their depths. "It's only a matter of time before I have to lay myself in it."

"Not if I have anything to say about it." With that, he closed the strikingly small distance between them, punctuation his promise with a kiss. It was soft and emotion-filled, so different from the passionate and desperate kiss they had shared earlier.

Smith pulled back, her breath still mingling with Bellamy's, her eyes shut. Perhaps she was fine with seeing where this went.

* * *

 **Well, it's been a while, huh? I apologize. I have to rewatch each episode before I write and I just didn't have time to sit down and** **watch it. But better late than never, I guess.**

 **Now, did the kiss seem to forced? I've only written a few romances before and I would really like hear some feedback on whether or not the romance was too shoehorned. If you guys think so, I will definitely rewrite it and wait a little bit longer.**

 **Please tell me what you think,**

 **MenShouldBeLikeKleenex**


	9. Chapter 9

Smith clenched her fist as she took in the wreckage around her. There were bodies sprinkled liberally around the debris. She watched Clarke as she silently gazed around her, her eyes locking on to each body in hopes of somehow knowing it wasn't her mother. Beside Smith, Bellamy held his gun at the ready, watching the outskirts of the crash for fear of Grounders. He had offered Smith a gun when they departed, but she refused. She had spent her entire life fearing the weapons.

"Stay sharp," Bellamy called to the teens milling about. "Grounder retaliation for what happened on the bridge is coming; it's just a matter of when."

"Can you blame them?" Finn bit out, a glare directed at the older man.

"No, I blame you." Bellamy took an aggressive step forward, but Smith stopped him with a hand on shoulder. Shaking her head, she turned to Finn.

"The Grounders probably did have warriors in the trees," Smith sighed. She was sick of all the fighting. "I thought they might agree to peace, but it's not unlikely that they would try to neutralize the Sky People threat by taking out the leader."

"Why they're coming doesn't matter anymore," Bellamy said, nodding to Smith in thanks. She stepped back, allowing him to walk passed her. He climbed over a piece of debris before turning back to help Smith over it. He knew she hated needing help, that she hated that her dominant arm was basically useless, but he also knew that she wouldn't be too prideful to refuse help. "It's our job to be ready when they do. We're on our own now."

"Clarke, stop!" Raven yelled suddenly, rushing over to where the blonde was poking around.

"Rocket fuel?" she asked the mechanic, still covering her nose.

"Hydrazine," Raven corrected. "Highly unstable in its non-solid form. If this stuff meets fire, we're all pink mist." Smith raised an eyebrow, not quite sure she believed that. Could an explosive really be that strong? Raven picked up a rock and dipped it into the liquid. "Fire in the hole!" she yelled as she chucked the rock into a fire. Smith watched as a large cloud of fire rose up from the ground. On instinct, she ducked her head, and she didn't miss how Bellamy covered her with his body not a second later. "We need to clear the area."

"Ok then," Bellamy yelled, straightening up. "We move in formation, no straggling, weapons hot. We got to get back before dark. Smith, you're next to me."

When they arrived back at camp, Monroe immediately ran up to Bellamy, frantic. "Bellamy! You're not gonna believe it, but Murphy's here! He's really jacked up. He said he was with the Grounders."

"What?" Bellamy growled. He told that bastard to never come near camp again. Just as he was about to march in and kill him, Smith grabbed his arm.

"The Grounders had him?" When the other girl nodded, Smith visibly paled in the low light. "Get everyone away from him, now! Quarantine every single person who came into contact with him."

"What?" Clarke asked, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "Smith, what's going on?"

"It's a war tactic," Smith rushed, her composure cracking with every word. She was practically frantic by now, her eyes wide and searching. "He's infected!"

"Smith, what the hell are you talking about?" Bellamy grabbed her arm, turning her to face him. He could see the fear shining in her normally blank eyes, her breathing erratic. Whatever the Grounders had done to Murphy, it really had her spooked.

"They're trying to weaken us for the main attack. I've seen it before, back during the war with the clans." Smith grabbed his hand, tugging him away from the area where Murphy was being held. "No one goes in there but me and those who already came into contact with him."

"Whoa, hold up," Bellamy said, holding up a hand as those around the ex-Grounder started to panic. "Why are you going in there?"

"They need someone who know how to tend to them," Smith answered, already stalking off toward the tent. Clarke was close behind, "Clarke, you can't get sick, you're the leader!" Smith gave Finn and Raven a look, and, getting the point, latched onto an arm each, pulling her back.

"I'm not letting you go in there," Bellamy hissed, grabbing her arm. "You could get infected."

Smith looked up at him, her jaw set in stubborn determination. She told earlier that she was willing to die for these kids. For him. She wasn't about to go back on her word. "Bellamy, I know what I'm doing."

"Smith is right," Finn said from behind the two. Bellamy didn't turn to look at him, but Smith saw his eyes dart to the side. "The sick need someone who can take care of them. Clarke can't do it cause if she gets sick, we'll only have one of our leaders."

"And Smith is our view into the Grounder world," Bellamy answered. She knew that he was just saying that to stop her from going in there. It had been a while since he had viewed her as just an asset to exploit. But it still stood that he had a point.

"It'll be ok." She smiled at him, touching his cheek with her fingers. "I'll be ok."

* * *

"Well, if it isn't the Grounder bitch," Murphy muttered as best he could with his screwed up face. He sneered at the girl as she pulled out a cloth and started to clean his wounds. "You know, you're people did this to me."

"They aren't my people anymore." Smith didn't fall for his bait. She couldn't give him the satisfaction of getting under her skin. A few more kids trickled into the dropship, sent by Clarke and the others. Smith had made herself very clear. Everyone who had come into contact with Murphy would be sent to the dropship. "Did you know that they had infected you?"

"No." He turned away, giving her access to his cheek to clean. "But when I was there, a man, the one to treated my wounds, he told me to stay away from you when I came back here."

"Nyko." Smith exhaled, tears filling her eyes for a brief second. Even in her exile, Nyko was looking out for her. "Did he say anything else?"

"No."

* * *

They had started to show symptoms. Murphy was puking up blood, others had blood dripping down their face from their eyes. Smith moved from person to person, trying to keep them as comfortable as possible.

Then someone died.

She heard the thump, and rushed over to his side as fast as she could. He was dead before she got to him. She couldn't leave the body in the dropship; it would start decomposing quickly in the suffocating heat. She grabbed the body, a boy she didn't know, and pulled him to the door. She would have thrown him over her shoulder, but her arm was stuck confined to its sling. Opening the door, she stuck her head out. Bellamy instantly ran over, his dark eyes relieved.

"Don't come any closer," she called, stopping him in his tracks. "I need you to clear a path. There's a body I need to dispose of."

"Someone's dead?" Bellamy tried to keep his voice even, but failed. "Smith, I want you out of there."

"It's fine." Smith gave him a pointed look. With a lot of grumbling, Bellamy cleared a path, allowing Smith to drag the body out of the camp and into the surrounding woods. She felt sweat drip down her face as she laid the boy to rest, whispering over his corpse As she entered the camp again, Clarke hurried toward the girl.

"Smith, more people are getting sick!" Clarke's eyes widened when she took in Smith's face. "Oh my god, Smith!" The older girl frowned at her exclamation. "You're eyes!"

Smith wiped at her eyes, glancing at her fingers in alarm. It wasn't sweat rolling down her face, it was blood. "Stay away!" she yelled, swiftly retreating to the ramp of the dropship. Her head felt strange, as if it was filled with fluff, but she stayed focused.

"Smith?" Bellamy called. "Smith, what's going on? Some kids outside of quarantine are getting sick."

"Bellamy, stay away," Smith hissed, backing up to the closed door of the dropship. He finally saw her face, and had to force a horrified gasp down. There was blood everywhere. "You can't get sick." Smith retreated into the ship, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Smith was floating in and out of consciousness, her head heavy. Everything ached, but her eyes burned. She wanted to shift, but moving just jostled her arm, which hurt even more than usual. From the world around her, she could hear cooing. Struggling to focus, she cracked her eyes and saw none other than Clarke.

"Clarke?" she croaked, grabbing the girl's arm. "You shouldn't be here."

"I'm already infected, Smith," the younger girl said with a sad smile. It was then that Smith noticed the blood that was smeared across the blonde's pretty face. The ex-Grounder groaned in defeat, knowing she had failed to keep the kids safe from infection. "But I'm better. I don't know why you're still sick."

"I don't know," she whispered, her eyes going out of focus for a second.

"Bellamy practically broke the door down when someone said you fainted." Clarke was trying to keep the girl awake, not knowing what would happen if she fell out of consciousness again. She was already weak due to her trial and the stress the disease put on her already fragile body could very well kill her.

"Is he sick?" she coughed weakly. When the blonde shook her head, she let a sigh of relief leave her. Her vision swam for a second, her head rolling into her head.

"Smith?" Clarke yelled in surprise. "Stay awake!"

"Clarke, I..." Smith glanced at her friend with a small frown. "I want to tell you something. I can't keep it inside forever." Her breath was labored, but Clarke waited patiently for her to continue. "It was a year and a half ago, during the great wars between the clans, when the sky lit up and the first group descended from the sky." Clarke's eyes widened, knowing that Smith was going to tell her what had happened to those Sky People. She knew that whatever had happened had brought her pain, but now she was going to reveal it.

"I was one of the people to examine the wreckage, my mentor by my side. We thought that everyone had died, but we were wrong. There were survivors, twenty-three."

"You said you buried twenty," Clarke interjected, her brows pinching in confusion. Smith flashed her a mirthless smile, shaking her head. Clarke got the message, all in due time.

"At first, they were kind," Smith continued, trying to even out her breath. "We taught them to hunt and fish, giving them all they needed to survive. I even became friends with some of them." She smiled fondly at some long forgotten memory, her eyes no longer taking in the present. "But for some of them, it wasn't enough."

"They wanted to be a part of the clan, to join our ranks. But our leader, the Commander, was able to achieve a sharky treaty with the other clans, who did not trust the Sky People." Smith paused now to let another shaky cough escape her, her entire body shaking with the effort. "They told our leader that if they Sky People joined the clans, they would not keep the Coalition. So I was tasked with telling the group that they would not be able to join us.

"They were angry and wrathful. They built traps and machines of death for when we returned, turning their camp into a dangerous landscape. My mentor, Lukas, died in one of the blasts, like the one you saw on our trip. Three others died from other traps. It was only me and a few others that escaped.

"When the Commander heard of the Sky People's traitorous actions, she declared war on them. No one was to go near the camp unless on her orders. After two days, one the treaty was finalized, our people would march and wipe out the Sky People. I was one of the warriors who was to go, despite the shame that followed when the newcomers had turned against us.

"But some of the Sky People were kind, and I could not stand by and let them die. So in the night, I snick away to their camp and warned them of the coming fight. Many of them sneered and thought that they would be fine. Few heeded my warning. I gave them a way out, told them of a path to a safe haven in the east. Three men agreed to go. They left and they were the only survivors. I was punished for letting some escape and going against the Commander's orders

"Do you remember how I flinched when I heard your name, Clarke?" Smith's eyes were sharp for a second, zeroing in on the blonde's sorrow-filled face. When Clarke nodded, she turned back to look at the ceiling once more. "I had heard the name before, from one of the men. His name was Jake Griffin."

Clarke gasped, her eyes filling with tears. Her father hadn't been floated? But how? But she hadn't been there, had she? She was already in confinement at that time, unable to watch her father's final moments. "Is he...?"

"He was one of the three who agreed to leave." Smith grabbed the blonde's hand without looking at her, giving her strength. "The last I saw of him, he was alive, heading off towards the ocean. Do you know him?"

"He's my father." It felt weird to not refer to him in the past tense, but he might still be alive.

Clarke didn't know what to say, whether or not she should be mad at the foreign girl for keeping this from her. But then again, if she had told the Sky Girl, she would have immediately ran off to find her dad, friends be damned. She probably would have died out there. But her father was alive, at least he had been alive a year and a half ago.

"Clarke?" Smith called weakly, giving the girl a tight-lipped smile. "I'm sorry for not telling you. It hurts so much to think about. I lost friends and had to bury twenty people."

"I know," she said quietly, stroking the girl's hair soothingly.

* * *

Smith woke again, her head feeling clearer than it had in hours. Sitting up slowly, she gasped as she caught sight of a body beside hers. "Bellamy!" Smith threw herself at him, taking in his bloody face and battered body. He cracked his eyes open slightly, a small smile appearing on his face.

"You're awake." He touched her face, his thumb stroking her lips. "Clarke told me what happened." Smith looked away, her jaw clenching. Bellamy grabbed her chin gently, turning her back to his face with a forced smile and a wracking cough. "It's ok," he soothed, pulling her to him so she ended up half laying on his chest. He kissed her gently, softly, before pulling back.

"You should rest," she whispered into his lips, gazing at his half-lidded eyes. "You need strength to beat this." She muttered something else in her mother tongue, causing Bellamy to smile softly.

"Keep speaking in your language," Bellamy sighed, his eyes closing, "It sounds nice."

Smith smiled weakly, still kind of woozy, but still, she opened her mouth and began to speak in Trigedasleng. She told him stories her mother used to tell her as a child, the story of the clans. Soon, he was asleep, and Smith slipped off his chest, sitting on the hard ground beside him. Able to take in the chaos around her for the first time, she noticed that quite a few more kids were now sick and in the dropship.

Murphy was going around the ship, giving people water and tending to the ill. It wasn't long before he arrived next to the older girl and the unconscious leader, taking in her forlorn look with a cautious glare.

"Need any water?" he grumbled.

"No," Smith shook her head. She probably should, but she didn't want to take from those still sick. She was strong. She could survive.

"What about him?" He nodded to Bellamy. Smith would almost say that the boy seemed uncomfortable in her presence. She had no idea why; she didn't pose much of a threat with one arm and in such a tight space.

"He should have some," she answered, grabbing the jug. She lifted his head slightly, slowly pouring some water into his mouth, making sure that he did not choke. "Thank you," she said as she returned the water.

"You know, you're friend was pretty cool." Smith raised an eyebrow, unsure of what he meant. "Nick or whatever? The healer. He seemed pretty cool. He saved my life by telling your leader I was useful. I didn't know this is what he meant, but…"  
"Nyko is a healer. Life is sacred to him." Smith smiled at him wanly.

"Well, he's not so bad." He paused.

"No, he's not," Smith agreed.

* * *

Bellamy's fever broke after a few hours, his eyes cracking open. By his side was Smith, her eyes closed as she slept. Her face was peaceful, not guarded or blank. He grabbed her hand, smiling when her brown eyes opened. She smiled back at him groggily. He intertwined their fingers, pulling her to him gently, resting her in the crook of his arms.

"They're coming, aren't they," Bellamy muttered into her hair.

"Yes." Smith leaned back to look at him, her eyes sad.

"Smith," he looked at her, really looked at her. He took in her sharp features, the curve of her lips, the furrowing of her brow, the splay of freckles that littered her nose. She wasn't what he expected from the Grounders. "Can we do this?"

"I don't know." Smith bit her lip, taking in his troubled expression. Slowly, as if fearing she would startle him, she pecked his lips. She pulled back not a second later, taking in how he looked with his eyes closed. Then he came back, kissing her fiercely despite the not so private setting. He pulled back.

"Are you ok with this? With starting something?" Bellamy whispered quietly. His eyes flickered to her lips, wetting his own.

"It's too late to be asking that," she chuckled. "Whatever this is, I'm ok with it."

Bellamy smiled, kissing the girl once again.

* * *

 **I bet you weren't expecting an upload so soon. Well, getting 31 inches of snow in one day gives you some free time, especially since school was cancelled two days in a row.**

 **And now you know what happened to the previous Sky People. This is where the book canon comes in, which I hope didn't confuse you too much. In the books, Clarke's dad and mom were both sent to the ground without her knowing. Since Abby needs to stay in space, I decided on keeping Jake on the ground. This will come into play later.**

 **Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed,**

 **MenShouldBeLikeKleenex**


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